Deputy Lord Mayor calls for Adelaide City Council supplementary election to be postponed during COVID-19 pandemic
Adelaide City ratepayers will next week start receiving ballot papers for a supplementary election to find a replacement for Houssam Abiad. But should the election be going ahead?
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Deputy Lord Mayor Alex Hyde is calling for an upcoming Adelaide City Council election to be postponed.
Cr Hyde has “serious concerns” around holding the supplementary election – to find a replacement for former deputy lord mayor Houssam Abiad, who has relocated to Saudi Arabia – during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Voting in council elections is non-compulsory and already sees a low voter turnout in our capital city,” Cr Hyde said.
“With many businesses closed for this period or limiting staffing numbers, the turnout will likely be even lower than usual.
“It is an unfortunate outcome for the democratic process.”
Cr Hyde said social distancing requirements would make traditional campaigning difficult.
“Conducting an election where you can’t physically campaign is unfathomable and so I wish all the candidates the best of luck,” he said.
Eight candidates are running in the supplementary election – Stuart Whiting, Wayne Chao, Greg Mackie, Gareth Lewis, Doha Khan, Nathan Paine, Darren Gitsham and Malwina Wyra.
Mr Paine, a former head of the Property Council, admitted COVID-19 had made it “a bit trickier” to campaign.
“We’ve had to pivot from pounding the pavement to trying to engage voters online,” Mr Paine said.
“Making it harder still is the fact that many if not most city businesses are completely shutdown.
“I fear that as a consequence they will be further disenfranchised as they are likely to find it difficult to get into the city to pick up their ballot papers and vote.”
An Adelaide City Council supplementary election in 2015 attracted 4438 votes.
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An Electoral Commission SA spokesman said the election would proceed, with almost 11,7000 voting packs being mailed out from April 21.
He said there was no provision to cancel or postpone the ballot.
“The only possible course of action the legislation allows is for a candidate at the election or an elector … to lodge a petition with the Court of Disputed Returns, so that the court can consider whether or not to declare the election void,” he said.
Meanwhile, all returned ballot papers will be quarantined for nearly 48 hours to reduce any potential health risk from coroanvirus to Electoral Commission staff and scrutineers.
“For supplementary council elections, we usually commence the scrutiny and count immediately after voting closes at noon on a Monday,” the spokesman said.
“For this election, as an added precaution we will wait until 9am on Wednesday, May 13, to commence the scrutiny and count.”
SA Health said there was “minimal” risk in holding the supplementary election.
Postal votes are due to be returned by noon on Monday, May 11.