$144k to elect one councillor

How much does it cost to elect a single resident to Cowra Shire Council? The NSW Electoral Commission (NSWEC) has provided the answer with Cowra residents being asked to fork out an estimated $141,071 for the by-election of one councillor held in November. The by-election was held after only eight nominations were received to elect nine councillors at the Local Government elections held in September. “The estimate, containing only the direct costs, has come in at $128,247 excluding GST,” the NSWEC informed Cowra Shire Council. The biggest cost was in election staffing of $95,549 followed by a logistics cost of $9596. Itemised, the costs, before GST were: Staffing - $95,549. Logistics - $9596. Ballot Papers - $4641. Call Centre - $1850. Information Technology - $7826. Posting voting services - $2000. Venues - $4915. Voter awareness - $667. Financial services - $1203. The Electoral Commission is still finalising costs for both the election and by-election. It is expected that the cost of the election will reduce from the original estimate of $142,854 as Cowra residents were not required to vote. Council is expecting a “bill” for the election, which did not occur, in March, 2025.