MORE than 10,000 of Bathurst’s 29,241 registered voters are expected to cast a pre-poll vote for the local government election over the next two weeks.
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Bathurst’s pre-polling centre will open at 8.30am on Monday in the old Clancy Motors site on Howick Street.
Returning officer Stuart Evennett will again oversee a team of about 15 electoral staff monitoring pre-polling up until 6pm on election eve.
About 45 per cent of voters cast a pre-poll ballot at the last council election in 2012, making the pre-polling centre easily the biggest polling booth in the region.
Voters registered in the Oberon and Blayney local government areas will also be able to cast a pre-poll vote at the Bathurst centre, where a number of parking spaces for people with a disability have been allocated at the front door.
“The very co-operative Bathurst Regional Council staff have painted in the disabled parking spots to do the right thing to ensure access for a whole range of electors,” Mr Evennett said.
“Previously we have just had temporary disabled parking signage at the front that I’ve had to bring in each night.”
The Bathurst pre-polling station will be open from 8.30am-5.30pm from Monday to Friday this week and then 9am-5pm on Saturday, September 2.
It will be closed on Sunday and then be open 8.30am-5.30pm from Monday to Thursday the following week, and open 8.30am-6pm on Friday, September 8.
Residents will not be able to vote at the pre-poll centre on election day – Saturday, September 9 – when 17 polling booths will be open across the region, plus an extra booth at Sydney Town Hall.
There will be no absentee voting for the local government election so people who will not be in the region on polling day [and cannot make it to Sydney Town Hall] should cast a pre-poll vote or apply for a postal vote.
Postal vote applications must be received by Monday, September 4. See the NSW Electoral Commission website for details.