Kiama voters are facing a crowded ballot on Saturday, as more than a dozen candidates line up to replace disgraced former MP Gareth Ward in what has become a make-or-break contest for both major parties.

Ward, who held the seat since 2011, resigned from parliament after being convicted of sexually assaulting two younger men.

Once a local powerhouse, his spectacular fall from grace has left his old electorate fractured and uncertain about where his loyal support base will now go.

The by-election lands at a crucial moment for NSW politics. A Labor victory would bring Premier Chris Minns to the edge of majority government, extending his party’s dominance across the state’s south coast.

For the Liberals, a loss could intensify internal unrest and fuel whispers of a leadership spill against

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