IF you opted out of postal voting and pre-polling and are still unsure who to vote for on Saturday, now’s the time to swot up on all the candidates running for Nambucca Valley Council.

You can read about them by going to the News Of The Area website and selecting recent “Printed Editions”, or you can go to the NSW Electoral Commission website and select “Browse Councils”.

Voting is compulsory in local government elections. The fine is $55.

There is no absentee voting, which means you must go to a polling place in your council area.

Here are the centres that will be open around the Nambucca Valley on Election Day.

Nambucca Valley Council

– Eungai Soldiers Memorial Hall on Hall Road, Eungai Creek. There is assisted access but no designated accessible parking spot, the path of travel from the carpark may be difficult, there is no accessible toilet and the building has lips and/or steps.

– Frank Partridge VC Public School on Centenary Parade, Nambucca Heads. There is assisted access, but the path of travel from the carpark may be difficult and there is no accessible toilet.

– Macksville Salvation Army Hall in Nambucca Street, Macksville. This is fully wheelchair accessible.

– Medlow Public School at 2896 Taylors Arm Road, Upper Taylors Arm. There is assisted access but no designated accessible parking spot and the path of travel from the carpark.

– Nambucca Heads Public School in Lee Street, Nambucca Heads. This is fully wheelchair accessible.

– Scotts Head Public School at 21 Vernon Street, Scotts Head. There is assisted access but the path of travel from the carpark may be difficult.

– St James Anglican Church Hall in Young Street, Bowraville. There is assisted access but no designated accessible parking spot and the path of travel from the carpark may be difficult.

– Utungun Community Centre on Taylors Arm Road, Utungun. There is assisted access but no designated accessible parking spot, the path of travel from the carpark may be difficult and the building has lips and/or steps.

– Valla Beach Community Hall on Valla Beach Road, Valla Beach. This is fully wheelchair accessible.

– Warrell Creek Public Hall on Albert Drive, Warrell Creek. There is assisted access but no designated accessible parking spot, the path of travel from the carpark may be difficult, the access ramp does not meet standards and there is no accessible toilet.

Kempsey Shire Council

– Stuarts Point Community Hall at 2a Marine Parade, Stuarts Point. There is assisted access but no accessible toilet, the path of travel from the carpark may be difficult, the access ramp does not meet standards and the building has lips and/or steps.

Results

At 6pm Saturday, the corflutes will start to come down and candidates will switch from meet and greet mode to watching and waiting for the numbers to come in.

Counting begins as soon as the polls close.

By 10pm, anyone keeping an eye on the NSW Electoral Commission’s Virtual Tally Room will have a fair idea of who’s in the lead.

But it could be weeks before the new mayor and councillors are declared, officially.

That’s because a series of counts must take place to ensure everything is above board.

There is the initial count, the check count, the deadline for receipt of postal votes and the distribution of preferences.

This is where those who number multiple candidates on their ballot papers come into play.

If their Number 1 pick reaches the quota to be elected, any surplus votes will go to their Number 2 pick.

The same happens if their Number 1 pick lands at the bottom of the running tally and is excluded.

This trickle down effect continues until the numbers on a ballot paper run out, which means the vote has been “exhausted”.

The date of the official declaration of councillors varies according to how tight the vote is, and if there are challenges and recounts.

The names of successful candidates will be displayed at the council chambers and on the NSW Electoral Commission website.

By Sue STEPHENSON