# 2022 New South Wales local elections

The 2022 New South Wales local elections were held on 30 July 2022 to elect councillors in three local government areas (LGAs) in New South Wales, Australia. The elections were held as a re-run after the New South Wales Electoral Commission's online voting system crashed at the 2021 local elections.

## Background

At the 2021 elections, the NSW Electoral Commission (NSWEC) used an online voting system, iVote, in a number of LGAs. Analysis commissioned by the NSWEC found 55 voters in Singleton, 54 in Shellharbour and 34 voters in Kempsey who attempted to use iVote were prevented from casting their vote.
On 5 April 2022, the Supreme Court of NSW ordered new elections in all three councils. The mayoral elections in were not affected, nor were the results in Shellharbour's B Ward, C Ward and D Ward.
Analysis showed there was a 60% chance that the wrong candidate had been selected by voters in the affected areas.

## Results
### Kempsey

2022 New South Wales local elections: Kempsey :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Quota | Quota | Quota | 1,890 | | |
| | Independent | 1. Dean Saul (elected 3) 2. Scott Butterfield (elected 5) 3. Michael Vella 4. George Thring | 3,843 | 22.60 | +18.40 |
| | Greens | 1. Arthur Bain (elected 1) 2. Dianne Nolan 3. Caroline George 4. Graeme Carrad | 3,246 | 19.90 | +9.70 |
| | Independent | 1. Simon Fergusson (elected 2) 2. Joshua Freeman 3. Daniel Freeman 4. Margaret Moir | 2,099 | 12.35 | −8.85 |
| | Independent | Anthony Patterson (elected 4) | 1,909 | 11.23 | +7.83 |
| | Independent | Kerri Riddington (elected 7) | 1,562 | 9.19 | +3.39 |
| | Independent | Alexandra Wyatt (elected 6) | 1,537 | 9.04 | +1.04 |
| | Independent | Kinne Ring (elected 8) | 1,234 | 7.26 | +2.96 |
| | Independent | Noel Selby | 753 | 4.43 | +1.43 |
| | Independent SFF | Troy Irwin | 507 | 2.98 | −0.32 |
| | Independent | Bruce Raeburn | 119 | 0.70 | −1.80 |
| | Independent | Andrew Evans | 102 | 0.60 | +1.40 |
| | Independent | Stephen McNamara | 91 | 0.54 | +0.54 |
| Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 17,002 | 92.82 | +5.22 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 1,315 | 7.18 | −5.22 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 18,317 | 78.50 | −2.80 |

### Shellharbour (A Ward)

2022 New South Wales local elections: Shellharbour (A Ward) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Quota | Quota | Quota | 4,204 | | |
| | Independent | 1. Kellie Marsh (elected 1) 2. Shane Bitschkat | 7,185 | 56.98 | −9.62 |
| | Labor | 1. Maree Edwards (elected 2) 2. Aarron Vann | 3,579 | 28.38 | −5.02 |
| | Independent Labor | 1. Marianne Saliba 2. Liz Kemp | 1,845 | 14.63 | +14.63 |
| Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 12,609 | 95.19 | −0.21 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 637 | 4.81 | +0.21 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 13,246 | 81.11 | −6.89 |

### Singleton

2022 New South Wales local elections: Singleton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | Danny Thompson (elected 3) | 2,208 | 17.70 | +0.00 |
| | Shooters, Fishers, Farmers | Mel McLachlan (elected 1) | 2,168 | 17.38 | +6.98 |
| | Labor | Tony Jarrett (elected 4) | 1,557 | 12.48 | +0.08 |
| | Independent | Godfrey Adamthwaite (elected 1) | 1,270 | 10.18 | +3.08 |
| | Labor | Sarah Johnstone (elected 5) | 886 | 7.10 | +3.60 |
| | Independent | Hollee Jenkins (elected 8) | 853 | 6.84 | +2.57 |
| | Independent | Val Scott (elected 7) | 847 | 6.79 | +3.99 |
| | Independent | Sue George (elected 6) | 782 | 6.27 | +3.97 |
| | Independent | Tony McNamara (elected 9) | 494 | 3.96 | +1.46 |
| | Independent | Belinda Charlton | 480 | 3.85 | −2.15 |
| | Independent | Kay Sullivan | 406 | 3.25 | +0.95 |
| | Independent | Shane Feeney | 330 | 2.65 | +2.65 |
| | Independent | Wayne Riley | 194 | 1.56 | +1.56 |
| Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 12,475 | 94.09 | +5.19 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 784 | 5.91 | −5.19 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 13,259 | 76.70 | −7.30 |

## Aftermath

In Kempsey, the highest placed non-elected candidate from 2021, Dean Saul, was instead one the first councillors elected.
All councillors in Singleton were re-elected with the exception of independent Belinda Charlton, who was defeated by Labor's Sarah Johnstone.
As a result of the re-runs, the New South Wales Electoral Commission opted not to use iVote for the 2023 state election as was initially proposed.