title: 1902 Balmain South state by-election
text: # 1902 Balmain South state by-election
  
  A by-election was held for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly electorate of Balmain South on 6 December 1902 because of the resignation of Sydney Law from Labor and the parliament. Following the 1901 election, the Progressive Party had formed a government with the support of Labour. In 1902 a man named Moss Friedman had been found guilty by a jury, however the judge disagreed with the guilty verdict. The Attorney General, Bernhard Wise, remitted Friedman's sentence and Joseph Carruthers, the Leader of the Opposition, moved a motion in the Legislative Assembly to censure Wise. Law voted in support of the motion despite a Labour decision to oppose it. Law chose to resign and recontest the seat as an Independent Labor candidate.
  
  ## Dates
  
  | Date | Event |
  | - | - |
  | 30 October 1902 | Vote on censure motion in Legislative Assembly/ |
  | 18 November 1902 | Sydney Law resigned. |
  | 19 November 1902 | Writ of election issued by the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly. |
  | 28 November 1902 | Nominations |
  | 6 December 1902 | Polling day |
  | 15 December 1902 | Return of writ |
  
  ## Result
  
  1902 Balmain South by-election Wednesday 16 August :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Independent Labor | Sydney Law (re-elected) | 1,387 | 57.9 | |
  | | Labor | Hugh Byers | 1,006 | 42.1 | |
  | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 2,388 | 99.3 | +0.3 |
  | Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 16 | 0.7 | -0.3 |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,404 | 58.9 | -10.1 |
  | | Member changed to Independent Labor from Labor | Member changed to Independent Labor from Labor | | | |
  