iVote failure election re-runs in Kempsey, Singleton, Shellharbour to be held July 30 despite efforts to postpone

Leo Hauville is angry about the situation his council and councillors have found themselves in. (ABC Mid North Coast: Luisa Rubbo)

The NSW Electoral Commission has confirmed voters in the Kempsey, Singleton, and Shellharbour Ward A local government areas will return to the polls on July 30.

Earlier this year, the NSW Supreme Court scrapped the 2021 council election results in the three council areas due to an iVote system malfunction.

The Electoral Commission appealed to the court to void the election results after the online voting system crashed during the December elections.

The mayors of Shellharbour and Kempsey councils have petitioned Minister for Local Government Wendy Tuckerman to postpone the election until 2024.

Although Kempsey mayor Leo Hauville's election was not challenged by the Electoral Commission, all eight councillor roles at the council will suffer an electoral re-run.

"I've spoken to the Local Government Minister, along with the mayors of the two other affected councils, and we were hoping for a more positive outcome. But it's not to be."

New elections will be held after the Supreme Court ruled a problem with the iVote system meant elections in three council areas were void. (ABC News: Lauren Pezet)

In the Kempsey Shire Council election there were 34 electors who were unable to vote due to the iVote failure.

"I'm angry at the cost and the trauma … that councillors feel that they've got to go through it all again," Mr Hauville said.

"It's not easy to stand for a public office, you're certainly putting yourself out there and hoping people will vote for you.

"There's also the possibility people won't vote for you so there's that psychological worry. They are really feeling the pain of it.

"All that has to be done again, sadly."

'Blindsided'

Nominations for the election will open on June 20 and close midday June 29.  (ABC Mid North Coast: Luisa Rubbo)

The NSW opposition said the government was ignoring what the community wanted after announcing the dates for fresh council elections.

Opposition spokesperson for local government Greg Warren said the community had not been listened to.

"This announcement has been made without any due regard [nor] appropriate consultations with those relevant communities that are affected," he said.

"The government simply doesn't know what they're doing."

Mr Warren said the minister had not taken appropriate action.

"What we are seeing from the minister and the government is a continued pattern of ignorance that discounts those local communities, and quite frankly I'm not even sure the government and the minister know what to do here," he said.

"That's why communities have been left in the dark, that's why councils and councillors have been blindsided."

NSW Local Government Minister Wendy Tuckerman has been contacted for comment.