Three local residents have put up their hand as candidates in Tenterfield’s upcoming D ward by-election, called after the passing of councillor John Martin.
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The candidates – in the order in which their name will appear on the ballot paper – are Bob Rogan, Ted Hartfield and Brian Brown. Candidates will be profiled in the Star in the lead-up to the August 19 poll.
In the meantime, it is mandatory for those enrolled in D Ward (bounded by Cowper, Rouse, Petre, East and High Streets and extending out Sunnyside way to Schroders Rd) to cast their vote, either on the day at the Tenterfield Memorial Hall polling booth or by postal vote or pre-poll ahead of that.
Applications for a postal vote close 5pm on August 14 (the Monday before election day). Valid justifications for a postal vote include being more then eight kilometres from the polling boost during the hours of polling, being seriously ill or disabled, approaching maternity, the member of a religious order or of religious beliefs preventing attendance, incarcerated, a carer, at work or a ‘silent’ elector.
Postal vote applications forms can be downloaded here (and completed online, saved and emailed back to the returning officer) or collected from the council offices.
Accepted applicants will then received a ballot paper in the mail, which in turn has to be completed and back with the returning officer by 6pm in the Monday following election day, August 21.
Alternatively, those who can’t get to Memorial Hall on August 19 for the same reasons can pre-poll at the council offices on weekdays between Monday, August 7 and Friday, August 18 from 9am to 4.30pm. (Closing time is extended to 6pm on August 18.)
Online voting (iVote) is not available for local council by-elections.
The polling booth at Tenterfield Memorial Hall will be open from 8am until 6pm on election day, August 19.
D ward was hotly contested in the council elections back in September last year, when the late Cr Martin secured his seat on preferences. While returning D ward councillor Don Forbes was the hot favourite with 52 per cent of the vote, sitting councillor Carol Schiffmann had 167 votes ahead of Cr Forbes’ running mate Mr Martin on 136 before the preference distribution.
Mrs Schiffman has opted not to recontest, with all three by-election candidates being fresh names on the ballot paper.
