Elections & voting
NSW holds local government elections every four years. Voting is compulsory for enrolled residents, so it's worth knowing the date and keeping your enrolment up to date.
New to these terms? Read them in plain English
- Ward
- A subdivision of a council area that elects its own councillors.
- How the mayor is chosen
- Either elected directly by voters, or chosen by the councillors.
- Special Rate Variation (SRV)
- Permission for a council to raise rates by more than the peg.
- NSW Electoral Commission (NSWEC)
- Runs council elections and publishes the official results.
Election facts
- Next ordinary election
- Saturday 9 September 2028
- Last election
- 14 September 2024
- How often
- Every 4 years (the second Saturday of September)
- How Walcha votes
- Undivided (no wards); 8 councillors by proportional representationVoters across the whole LGA elect all eight councillors; the councillors then elect the Mayor and Deputy Mayor from among themselves. At the 2024 election, 8 councillors were elected from 13 candidates and 2,322 residential and non-residential electors were enrolled (as at 5 August 2024). The result was declared on 2 October 2024. The NSW Electoral Commission ran no mayoral contest for Walcha — the Mayor is not popularly elected here.
- Voting
- Compulsory for enrolled residentsNot voting can result in a fine.
- Enrol / check enrolment
- NSW Electoral Commission
Sources — check it yourself
Figures are current as at the dates shown and may change — always confirm with the linked source. See the notice at the bottom of the page for full details and how to report a correction.