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Council Elections

Every four years the community has the opportunity to vote for councillors who will represent them and make decisions on their behalf.

The next local government elections are scheduled for Saturday 14 September 2024. Voting is compulsory. 

In the Murrumbidgee Local Government Area, we elect 9 councillors and they subsequently choose one of their own as the Mayor.

Our council is divided into these wards, with three councillors elected from each ward:

  • Jerilderie
  • Murrumbidgee East (centred around Coleambally)
  • Murrumbidgee (centred around Darlington Point)

Murrumbidgee Council Wards Map

Murrumbidgee Council - Local Government Area Map

NSW Electoral Commission

The NSW Electoral Commission administers the elections. You can find all the necessary information about past and future elections, including becoming a candidate on their website.

Nominating as a candidate

Councillors are elected by their local community to represent community views on the Council, provide leadership and ensure local needs are met. They achieve this by directing the Council's affairs, allocating resources for the benefit of the local area, developing policies and reviewing the Council's performance in relation to how it is delivering services and other matters.

Being a Councillor can be rewarding because it provides an opportunity to: 

  • Make decisions that help people within the local community;
  • Influence the long-term, strategic direction of a local community;
  • Learn new skills such as public speaking and advocacy;
  • Work with a broad cross-section of the community on a diverse range of issues.

More information on being a candidate and a short powerpoint presentation and video here.

A series of online candidate information sessions are conducted by the NSW Electoral Commission (NSWEC) in the lead-up to the NSW Local Government elections.

The webinars will cover the following topics:

  • Election overview
  • Election funding and disclosure
  • Registration of candidates, groups, and third-party campaigners
  • Electoral material (also known as how-to-vote - material)
  • Nomination process
  • Early voting and election day voting
  • Candidate workers and scrutineers
  • Counting and results

Webinars are recorded and placed on the NSWEC website.

Further information:

  • Visit www.elections.nsw.gov.au

  • Email the candidate helpdesk candidates@elections.nsw.gov.au

  • Call the candidate helpdesk 1300 022 011. If you are deaf, hard of hearing and/or have a speech impairment, please contact the NSW Electoral Commission through the National Relay Service (NRS). Choose your access option and ask for 1300 135 736. If you need an interpreter, please call TIS National on 131 450 and ask them to call the NSW Electoral Commission on 1300 135 736.

Voting in the elections


Voting in local government elections is compulsory. Voting, including postal vote applications, is managed by the NSW Electoral Commission. Options for voting include pre-polling, postal and in-person voting options. Postal votes are available to voters from all states in Australia. View this link to check your enrolment.

Applying to vote as a non-resident

You are eligible to vote as a non-resident in a ward or council area if you are either an owner of rateable land in the ward or council area or an occupier or rate-paying lessee of rateable land in the ward or council area.

Non-residential rolls are prepared and certified by the General Manager of Murrumbidgee Council. The NSW Electoral Commissioner must confirm that the voters listed are eligible for enrolment on the non-residential roll. However, you are responsible for checking that you are eligible for inclusion in the non-residential roll for a council or ward when you apply. We recommend you get independent advice if you are unsure whether you are eligible to apply or not.

You can apply to be included on the non-residential roll of another ward or council area by completing one of the forms below. 

You may apply as either of the following:

Non Residential Roll - Nominee Application Form
Non Residential Roll - Individual Application Form

Applications can be hand-delivered to any of our council offices, posted to Box 5 Darlington Point NSW 2706 or sent to mail@murrumbidgee.nsw.gov.au  

The non-residential rolls close at 6.00 pm on Monday 5 August 2024.