While Forbes and Cabonne shire councils won't be declared until the start of October, initial counts indicate Forbes Mayor Phyllis Miller and Cabonne Mayor Kevin Beatty have led first preference voting. Initial counting of Saturday's votes has been completed but there's still almost two weeks until the results will be made official. Postal voting remains open until 6pm on Friday, September 27, with the crucial distribution of preferences to take place from Monday, September 30. Results will be declared between October 1 and 3, the NSW Electoral Commission has advised. Between now and then, check counting and data entry of ballot paper preferences into the NSW Electoral Commission computer count system is taking place. Forbes had 10 candidates for its nine seats, with eight of our current councillors and two new putting their hands up. By Tuesday, the initial count for votes cast in pre-polling and on Saturday was complete, with the summary: Phyllis Miller 615 first preference, 33.83 pc formal votes Steven Karaitiana 630 first preference, 12.21pc of formal votes Aidan Clarke 615 first preference, 11.92pc of formal votes Jenny Webb 484 first preference, 9.38pc of formal votes Chris Roylance 364 first preference, 7.06pc of formal votes Marg Duggan 352 first preference, 6.82pc of formal votes Brian Mattiske 279 first preference, 5.41pc of formal votes Sarahlee Sweeney 276 first preference, 5.35pc of formal votes Michele Herbert 223 first preference, 4.32pc of formal votes James Whalan 190 first preference, 3.68pc of formal votes The progressive quota - or the number of first preference votes a candidate needs to be elected - was given as 516. Cabonne also had 10 candidates for nine seats, with the initial count at: Kevin Beatty 1618 first preference, 25.7 pc of formal votes Jamie Jones 684, 10.86 pc of formal votes Marlene Nash 634, 10.07 pc of formal votes Aaron Pearson 587, 9.32 pc of formal votes Peter Batten 544, 8.64 pc of formal votes Andrew Pull 525, 8.34pc of formal votes Andrew Rawson 517, 8.21pc of formal votes Kathryn O'Ryan 499, 7.93pc of formal votes Jennifer Weaver 392, 6.23pc of formal votes Guin Dickie 296, 4.7pc of formal votes The progressive quota - or the number of first preference votes a candidate needs to be elected - was given as 630. The check count has now commenced, with every ballot paper to be examined and entered into the NSW Electoral Commission's computer count system by two operators. Once a candidate has reached the quota they are considered elected, and their votes are transferred to continuing candidates based on the next candidates numbered. Once that's complete, the candidates with the lowest number of votes are excluded from the count and the preferences from their votes are distributed. This distribution of preferences can only take place after the postal votes have been counted, but a time will be scheduled for each shire and it only takes the pressing of a button to start the process through the NSW Electoral Commission's computer count system.
