NSW Libs prepare for North Shore vote

The NSW Liberal candidate for the North Shore by-election will be chosen during a late-night ballot of local members.

About 200 preselectors will convene in North Sydney on Wednesday night to decide who'll contest the plumb seat vacated by the retirement of former health minister Jillian Skinner.

It will leave the winner just three weeks to campaign before the April 8 by-election.

Some of the main candidates include former premier Barry O'Farrell's chief of staff, Anna McPhee; former president of the NSW Liberal Women's Council, Felicity Wilson; former chief of staff to Planning Minister Anthony Roberts, Tim James; and marketing consultant Jessica Keen.

Candidates will make a brief speech to preselectors before voting starts. It's expected the result won't be known before 10pm.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Premier Gladys Berejiklian will both have representatives at the meeting.

Some of the preselectors reportedly include property developers, who are banned from donating to political parties in NSW, according to The Daily Telegraph.

Ms Skinner won the blue ribbon seat by a margin of 21.9 per cent in the 2015 election, but it's expected the Liberal Party could face a backlash over the premier's recent decision to forge ahead with council mergers in the city.