Labor members turn out to vote in Sydney (AAP)

View Comments

A "record number" of Labor supporters have voted for who they want to be their party's next state candidate in the Sydney seat of Balmain.

More than 10 per cent of the inner west electorate voted in the community preselection to select the person they want at next year's state election on Saturday.

At close of polls, former NSW education minister Verity Firth won the ballot with 65 per cent of the community vote and 53 per cent of the branch vote.

She was competing against Leichhardt's high-profile mayor Darcy Byrne.

It comes after she narrowly lost the marginal inner city seat to Greens candidate Jamie Parker at the 2011 election.

It was the first seat the Greens have won in the NSW lower house.

NSW ALP general secretary Jamie Clements said the record number of votes showed the party was in a "strong position" to wrest back the seat, with 5600 people voting in the primary-style contest.

"This unprecedented result has engaged the community and energised local branch members," he said in a statement.

The poll was part of the party's shift to re-engage their base, with the community and branch vote each weighted at 50 per cent.

"Community preselections are changing the way the Labor Party engages with the community, and they are responding," Mr Clements added.

The seat of Strathfield will be the next place where a community preselection will take place.

http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/-/latest/23199456/labor-members-turn-out-to-vote-in-sydney/