Sydney’s lord mayor Clover Moore has hit out at plans to force 80,000 businesses to vote in council elections, accusing the state government of undermining democracy in a desperate bid to draw publicattention away from the scandals plaguing the Liberal Party at ICAC.

Business owners will be automatically enrolled to vote in the city’s elections under the proposed changes to the City of Sydney Act - a move widely expected to undermine Cr Moore’s hold on the mayoral chains next time council heads to the polls.

Lord Mayor Clover Moore and member for Sydney Alex Greenwich on the hustings in 2012: Both have spoken out against plans to force city businesses to vote in council elections. Credit:James Alcock

The government will back a Shooters and Fishers bill expected to be introduced into the lower house on Thursday that would flood the City of Sydney's electoral roll with businesses, which would have up to two votes each.

The current arrangements, which require businesses to re-enrol for every election, "effectively disenfranchise a large proportion of those who pay the rates of the City of Sydney", NSW Premier Mike Baird said.