The Greens team and former councillors Daryl Betteridge and Stuart Baker were ordered to remove posters deemed to be contravening rules banning signs on buildings and near polling station entrances.

The directive from the NSW Electoral Commission came as early voting opened at the former tax office in Smollett Street and Mirambeena at Lavington.

Under rules introduced to meet COVID requirements, candidates cannot stand within six metres of a prepolling site entrance and are unable to distribute how-to-vote cards in that area.

An initial bid to have candidate team members stand 100 metres away drew a backlash, with councillor Henk van de Ven threatening to call the police.

Later Mr Betteridge and the Greens were told to take down signs from the side of buildings and Mr Baker was ordered to remove posters on a pole directly in front of the doors at Smollett Street.

Green and deputy mayor Amanda Cohn said the rules were unclear and she was initially wary about removing signs because candidates are not permitted to touch them until 7pm, after placing them in the morning by a required time.

Amid the toing and froing over the promotional material, they was a scattering of voters scanning their QR codes, wearing masks and using disposable pens to lodge their votes.

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"It's been a very unsteady trickle," Cr van de Ven said while beyond six metres of the Smollett Street hub.

On the other side of the entrance, Greens lead candidate Ashley Edwards and independent hopeful Andrew Boyd Barber gathered.

The latter has become known for his call to have a tram run from Thurgoona to Wodonga and in a curious way it's earned him a vote.

"One person said 'it's probably a stupid idea but at least you're putting ideas out there and I'll vote for you'," Mr Barber said.

Mr Betteridge brought his late wife Julie's care dog Winston to assist his campaigning, noting the terrier was "not overly well socialised" but appeared to behaving and helping to draw interest to him.

He welcomed not being able to offer how-to-vote cards.

"It is hard work and I'm not sure what return you get from it," Mr Betteridge said.

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