The NSW ALP advised on Friday September 27 2024 that after extensive consultations with the leadership of the State Parliamentary Labor Party, local branch members and potential candidates, NSW Labor has decided not to nominate a candidate in the upcoming by-elections.
The Greens, likewise, have not announced a candidate.
The Ballot Draw, published on the NSW Electoral Commission website also shows the order the candidates will be on the ballot paper and is listed as the Candidate's name; Candidate ballot name; Affiliation (political party); Locality as enrolled and their Child protection declaration.
That List, as it appears on the webpage, is:
RENNIE Doug - LIBERTARIAN PARTY (FORMERLY LIBERAL DEMOCRATS)
Lives in: AVALON BEACH
SCRUBY Jacqui - Independent
Lives in: AVALON BEACH
RYBURN Georgia - LIBERAL
Lives in: FRENCHS FOREST
Profiles, for those who have accepted the opportunity to be part of that sharing of information, will run next Sunday, October 13.
All candidates are aware Pittwater Online News does not charge for the sharing of political or politicians Notices, nor does the news service accept fees or run political advertisements.
Early voting will be open from Saturday, 12 October to Friday, 18 October 2024 (not open Sunday).
View early voting locations, with all Pittwater booth wheelchair friendly, are:
- Avalon Recreation Centre
- Bilarong Community Hall
- Mona Vale Memorial Hall
- Sydney EVC
Voting locations on election day
Voting centres will be open from 8am to 6pm on Saturday, 19 October 2024
How did they get my Number - Email Address?
The news service has received a number of phone calls and emails from residents this past few weeks regarding robocalls, and their content, and campaign emails which they never signed up for in the instance of one candidate.
There have also been reported instances of candidate's volunteers removing the corflutes of others or graffitiing the same, as occurred in 2023.
Unfortunately there's not much anyone can do about people choosing to be stupid or nasty, and not much, either, residents can do about finding their data has been mined and themselves targeted for political gain during an election, as there are no laws, as yet, to protect you from being subjected to this at a state or federal level.
However, if they persist, and don't provide an unsubscribe option, simply click right and nominate it as 'junk' and it won't appear in your Inbox again.
If you are robocalled and consider misinformation and disinformation is being forced on you - hang up and block the number.
The NSW Electoral Commission's website advises the following:
Misleading Information
It is an offence during the regulated period to print, publish or distribute electoral material that contains either voting directions or an untrue statement that is intended or likely to mislead or improperly interfere with an elector in or in relation to the casting of their vote.
This does not extend to the truth or otherwise of political statements that seek to motivate or influence the decision whom to vote for. It refers to the act of marking a ballot paper, for example, instructing an elector to place the number ‘1’ on a ballot paper more than once.
Directions for voting printed on electoral material must be consistent with the requirements for a formal vote as printed on the ballot paper. It is an offence to encourage an elector to vote using a tick or a cross. Electoral material which uses the name, abbreviation, derivative or acronym of the name of a registered political party in a way which may mislead an elector is also illegal.
While the NSW Electoral Commission does not regulate the truth of political statements, it monitors disinformation and misinformation posted online during the election that has the potential to mislead the public about electoral processes. Our Disinformation Register rebuts prominent false and misleading statements about these processes.
At a Federal level ACMA advises:
ACMA on Political messages
Spam rules only apply to commercial electronic messages – those that offer, advertise or promote goods or services.
An email or SMS seeking to influence your vote or opinion is rarely covered by these rules – they do not need your consent to send it, and do not need to include an unsubscribe.
This may include messages sent during local, state and territory or federal elections, as well as those sent in the lead-up to a referendum or plebiscite.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority is aware that members of the public may receive political emails, text messages and calls from time to time, such as:
- during local, state and territory or federal election campaigns
- during periods of political debate, such as in the lead up to a referendum or plebiscite.
These messages and calls are exempt from most spam and telemarketing rules.
Telemarketing rules
Telemarketing rules apply to telemarketing and research calls. If a call is not commercial, it may be made to anyone, even to a number on the Do Not Call Register. Most political calls are unlikely to be telemarketing calls.
All telemarketing and research calls, which could include political opinion polling, are subject to additional minimum standards about when they can be made and the information that must be provided. You can find out more about these rules on the Do Not Call Register website.
If the call is not telemarketing and is not a research call, then it is not covered by these rules.
More information about telemarketing rules can be found at donotcall.gov.au
The Australian Electoral Commission provides information on:
Electoral roll data entitlement
The AEC must provide electoral roll data to a range of persons and organisations who are entitled to receive data (entitled entities) under section 90B of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 (Electoral Act).
This webpage is for the following entitled entities:
- members of the House of Representatives (MPs)
- senators
- registered political parties.
What are your entitlements to electoral roll data?
An MP is entitled to electoral roll data for the division for which they were elected and any other division that after the redistribution, includes the division, or a part of the division, for which the member is elected.
A senator is entitled to electoral roll data for the state or territory for which they were elected.
A federally registered political party is entitled to electoral roll data only for the states or territories in which it is organised. A party is considered to be organised in a state or territory if the address of the party’s Registered Officer as listed on the AEC’s Register of Political Parties is within that state or territory. A party is also considered to be organised in a state or territory where:
Who can use ERA?
Access to ERA is only available to MPs, senators and registered political parties (entitled entities) or delegates they authorise to download and use the data on their behalf, such as office staff or data bureaus (delegates).
Unauthorised access to electoral roll data is prohibited by law. The Data Use Guidelines assist the entitled entity or their delegate to understand the permitted purpose and use of electoral roll data, penalties, privacy and security.
Worth Noting - AEC:
What enrolment information is provided to political parties?
In line with the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918, the AEC may provide the name, address and gender of electors to prescribed authorities.
The AEC does not disclose the contact details of electors. The AEC has no knowledge of where or how a registered political party obtains telephone numbers of electors.
Why is my enrolment information used for identity verification?
The AEC is required under the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 to provide electoral roll information to a number of persons and organisations including members of parliament, political parties, approved medical researchers, public health programs, electoral researchers and some companies who provide identity verification services.
A list of the current companies who are entitled to receive roll information for identity verification purposes is set out in Regulation 8 of the Electoral and Referendum Regulation 2016. These companies receive a full copy of the public version of the electoral roll. Where another company or business uses the services of these listed companies, the only information that is disclosed is to confirm or reject that the name and address information corresponds with a real person who can be identified from a range of databases. Accordingly the actual business that made the inquiry will only receive the information about specific individuals who have chosen to provide their information to that business for identity verification. Those businesses do not actually receive the roll data itself or any information about people who do not have a relationship with them.
The information provided to the identity verification companies listed in regulation 8 (referenced above) is limited to the elector’s name and enrolled address. No other personal information is disclosed by the AEC.
NSW Politicians have the same entitlements of access to electoral rolls.
Residents have stated that 1918 Act may need an update given we live in an age of illegal data mining and identity theft. Some politicians have expressed support for the idea.
As two of the candidates are intelligent women known for clear-headed articulateness, politeness, respect for others and kindness - yes; mums - any of the political nastiness residents have witnessed in past elections, or been subjected to this past week in the latest right-wing media reporting on federal independents, particularly Zoe Daniels as we head towards the 2025 federal elections, is more likely to stem from a different 'that's how we roll' source than those two mums.
Key dates:
- Thursday, 3 October 2024: 12 noon: Close of nominations
- Friday, 4 October 2024: Announcement of candidates and conduct of ballot paper draw
- Tuesday, 8 October 2024: Postal vote mailing to electors commences
- Friday, 11 October 2024: 5pm: Registration of electoral material closes
- Saturday, 12 October 2024: Early voting commences; Telephone assisted voting for blind and low vision electors commences
- Monday, 14 October 2024: 6pm: Postal vote applications close; Close of registration for third-party campaigners
- Friday, 18 October 2024: 6pm: Early voting closes
- Saturday, 19 October 2024: Election day: voting centres open 8am – 6pm, 1pm: Telephone assisted voting closes
- Friday, 1 November 2024:6pm: Close of postal vote return
- Tuesday, 5 November 2024: 10am: Distribution of preferences
- Wednesday, 6 November 2024: Declaration of results
- Friday, 8 November 2024: Return of the writ
Voting by post in NSW State by-elections? Apply now
Postal vote applications are now open for voters who are unable to vote in person at the 2024 Epping, Hornsby and Pittwater State by-elections on Saturday, 19 October. Eligibility criteria apply.
Applications close at 6pm on Monday, 14 October 2024. Late applications cannot be accepted.
Voters should apply now on the NSW Electoral Commission website to ensure they receive their postal vote pack as soon as possible. Postal vote packs will be sent out to successful applicants from Tuesday, 8 October.