While the NSW Electoral Commission administers an election when engaged, it is always up to each individual council to pay the bulk of the bill.

The NSW Government will only cover the core election costs.

With additional precautions implemented this year to limit the risk of COVID-19, Bathurst council will be paying a lot more than it did for the previous election.

READ ALSO: Election candidates slam decision to increase pre-poll venues

While the final bill has yet to come in, general manager David Sherley said council has received a quote of around $330,000.

"It's within the ballpark of what we expected to be charged," he said.

"We've always traditionally had the returning officer's office here, but having the two pre-poll locations will add costs to the election.

"All the costs incurred are charged back against the council."

Council not only pays for venue hire, but also has to cover staffing and other costs.

The previous election, held in 2017, totalled $235,524.

In 2019, prior to the delay of the election scheduled for 2020, the electoral commission had proposed higher charges to administer the election.

Bathurst council was facing an estimated cost of $284,000 for the 2020 election, an increase of more than 20 per cent on the previous election.

At the time, the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) review of local government elections costs found that "the market for local government election services is currently a near-monopoly".

"This, and the very sharp increases in costs proposed by the NSWEC, highlights the need to review the efficiency of the NSWEC's proposed costs and to regulate prices, at least in the short-term," the review stated.

The next council election is scheduled for September 2024.

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