Vote online or on your mobile for the NSW Council Elections ahead of this Saturday

Every time a major election happens, there’s always lots of debate about our voting system, and why we’re still lining up at the local school to stand in a cardboard cubicle to cast a vote with pen on a bit of paper for someone to count later that night.

It’s positively archaic. But, it is what it is. Except for the NSW Electoral Commission who have an electronic voting system called iVote – which anyone can use – within reason.

There are five “reasons” why you can apply to use the iVote online system.

You have a disability which would make it difficult to vote at a polling place
You have applied for a postal vote but have not received my postal ballot papers
You will be outside of my council area during election day
You have literacy needs
You am blind or have low vision

Now, for most people, given we’ve had a huge lifting in COVID restrictions, its quite likely you’ll be outside your council election this Saturday – isn’t there? 🙂

So, tick that box, and get going!

It’s ridiculously simple. You need your date of birth, name, and then a form of ID such as Drivers licence or Passport.

Once that information is verified, you need to get a unique voterID code which can be text or emailed to you.

For me, this took just a few minutes to come through.

Once you have that, you return to the iVote system website, either on your phone or computer and use the Code and Password you created and login.

Council elections are a bit like the State and Federal, in that there are a couple of Votes you need to cast. Firstly for Mayor, and then for councillors.

The second is like the Federal Senate, you can vote above the line – by grouping, or below the line where you number every box.