Facing a complex Council election

The Central Coast Council elections held last weekend were a democratic marathon, marked by our excessively long and arduous vote-counting process.

Intricacies of the electoral procedure, involving five wards, 77 council candidates, and the dual voting system of above-the-line and below-the-line options, made for a confusing landscape.

Adding to the complexity, a questionable referendum question was thrown in from the former administrators, further complicating the process for many voters.

It is little wonder that preliminary reports suggest a higher-than-usual informal vote, with more than 10 per cent of ballots being incorrectly filled out or deemed invalid.

Social media chatter highlighted frustrations from voters, with many claiming they had insufficient information about the referendum or what the individual council candidates stood for.

This is a stark contrast to our diligent CCN readers, who were treated to dozens of stories outlining the key issues and candidate positions, arming them with the knowledge to make informed choices.

The unfortunate truth is that for many, social media has become the primary source of news.

However, in a worrying trend, the social media giants have deprioritised local journalism, leaving entire communities under-informed or worse, misinformed.

This crucial point cannot be overstated: when we give up on verified, community-focused journalism, we leave ourselves at the mercy of algorithms, which are often driven by engagement rather than accuracy or relevance.

As we ponder the challenges of this election, we may wish to take a moment to consider the difference between trusted local journalism, presented in print and online, compared to manipulated social media algorithms designed to distract us from our day-to-day lives.

Without local journalism, the complexities of local democracy and the decisions that shape our daily lives are left in the hands of distant tech companies, with little regard for our community.

David Abrahams – Managing Editor