A message from the Mayor: Make every vote count, be preferential
Published on 06 March 2023
As we approach the state election on Saturday 25 March, it is important that we all consider how we can make our votes count. Should you use preferences? I say yes!
The 2022 NSW Local Government Conference, including all Kempsey Councillors, unanimously supported a motion moved by Deputy Mayor Patterson, calling for more education on our world-class democracy, including ongoing voter education programs.
Through my conversations with many people in our Shire, it has become clear that some are unsure of how our preferential system works.
Unlike the Federal Election rules, where all boxes must be numbered, in NSW State and Council elections, there is an optional preferential system. A ballot paper is considered formal, and counted, if there is only a one in a single box beside a candidate's name. I believe that the Federal system is better. It provides a more assured result due to the fuller input from each voter.
To better understand how the preferential voting system works, let us look at the December 2021 mayoral election, when I was honoured to be elected Mayor of Kempsey Shire.
There were 17,585 formal votes counted. No candidate had more than half the votes. Two candidates had about 30% of the votes. For both, that meant around 70% had voted for other candidates.
That is when preferences proved their value. The votes of the least supported candidate were then reallocated based on where those voters had put the number ‘2’. After a new count, the votes of the next lowest supported candidate were reallocated. This process occurred five times until only two candidates remained.
Unfortunately, 5,030 votes were not included in this final distribution because they did not have enough preferences written down on the ballot paper. To me, these 5030 votes were wasted.
That's why I strongly suggest that everyone should put more than one number when voting, even though this is not mandatory. In the upcoming state election, I hope that more people will number every candidate with their preference on who they would like elected. By doing so, we can ensure that every vote counts and that our democracy remains strong and vibrant.