FAQ
How does the ballot work?
The ballot consists of two constituencies – a metropolitan and regional group (11 members) and a rural group (5 members). Affirmative action applies to the ballot, as such 40% of those elected must be women. The quota is applied separately to each constituency.
All financial members of the ALP (as at the opening of nominations 4/09/15) in the state electorates below, are eligible to vote in the ballot.
- Albury
- Ballina
- Barwon
- Bathurst
- Bega
- Cessnock
- Clarence
- Coffs Harbour
- Cootamundra
- Dubbo
- Goulburn
- Kiama
- Lismore
- Maitland
- Monaro
- Murray
- Myall Lakes
- Northern Tablelands
- Orange
- Oxley
- Port Macquarie
- Port Stephens
- Shellharbour
- South Coast
- Tamworth
- Tweed
- Upper Hunter
- Wagga Wagga
- Wollondilly
At the close of nominations there were 11 nominations for the 11 metro / regional positions, so no ballot is required. A ballot will be held for the 5 country / rural representatives.
Voting is available online. If you are unable to vote online, you can request a postal ballot from NSW Labor Head Office on (hotline number). Postal ballots must be returned by the close of voting on Wednesday 28 October.
How does online voting work?
Once you enter the voting site, you will be asked for your first and last names and your ALP Membership number to verify your identity. To vote, you will need to provide an email address and mobile phone number. A PIN number will be sent via text to your mobile phone, so you need to have the phone with you. Depending on your address, you will be asked to vote in either the metro/regional group or country/rural group.
The ballot is optional preferential. You can number as few or as many candidates as you like.
What happens if I cannot access online voting?
If you are having difficulty voting online for some reason, please get in touch with NSW Labor Head Office and we can help you to resolve any issues. Please contact Jack Power on 0448 149 653 or [email protected].
Is it secure? Can the website be hacked?
The website is very secure. It is run by a company called BigPulse, who have run hundreds of online elections around the world. Their website is www.bigpulse.com, where you can see the details of their security systems and examples of their previous elections.
Will my information be available to anyone else?
No - our contract with the independent election provider specifies that no third party will have access to any data.
Is this a secret ballot- will anyone be able to see how I voted?
No. Our contract with the independent provider specifies that NSW Labor will NOT be able to see how any individual member has voted.
How will it be counted at the end?
At the close of the ballot, there will be an event at which candidates, scrutineers and party members can view the count. The ballot will be counted in accordance with the NSW Labor Rules for internal party ballots, available online at nswlabor.org.au.
