Liberal candidate linked to controversial how-to-vote cards

A Liberal candidate in the marginal seat of Ashwood in Melbourne’s south-east was behind what Labor has described as a “deceptive” how-to-vote card handed out by community group members, according to online metadata.

In a further example of early voting controversies across the political spectrum, complaints have also been made to the electoral watchdog about voting cards handed out in the key electorate of Northcote. The cards seemed designed to counteract a Coalition attempt to help the Greens beat Labor.

Asher Judah, the Liberal candidate for Ashwood, is mobilising residents to campaign against planning proposals.Credit: Simon Schluter

Asher Judah, the Liberal candidate for Ashwood, is the online administrator of action group People Power Monash. The Facebook page includes an authorisation by Liberal state director Sam McQuestin, in the group campaigning against development proposed in the area.

Despite its Liberal links, group members wearing orange T-shirts were handing out voter cards at polling booths this week that encouraged residents to vote Judah second, after an independent candidate. Labor’s Matt Fregon was listed in last preference on the card.

The People Power how-to vote cards being given to voters in Ashwood.

The leaflet listed candidates’ stances on development.

The Age confirmed Judah was the author of the document registered with the Victorian Electoral Commission, according to the online metadata that was initially shared online by Labor member James Raynes.

After being shown the metadata, Judah said in a statement: “I work with a lot of community groups on the issues that are important to them. Planning and the destruction of neighbourhood character is a significant issue in this electorate. I have assisted People Power on making sure their voices are heard in the upcoming election.”

A Labor campaign spokeswoman said the how-to-vote cards were designed to mislead voters by hiding support for Judah, placing him behind the independent.

“This scorecard claims to be from an independent community group – but it’s nothing but a front for the Liberal Party,” she said.

Judah earlier told The Age that the community group was filled with hundreds of people across the political divide and led by non-party people.

“I’ve always been transparent about my relationship with them. I am helping them find their voice,” he said.

Orange posters from the community group – more than 200 of which have been put up in front yards in the electorate – criticising Labor and planning proposals were also authorised by McQuestin. Judah said everything had to be authorised.

“There are more orange signs in Ashwood than every candidate combined,” Judah said. “That doesn’t happen unless the community is fired up.”

The Coalition last week announced it would place the Greens ahead of Labor on how-to-vote cards in the Labor-held inner-city seats of Richmond, Northcote and Albert Park.

The opposition hopes the decision will cause enough Liberal voters to place the Greens above Labor, tipping the scales in favour of the minor party when preferences are distributed between the final two candidates.

But in Northcote, Liberals and Greens claim some voters are being tricked by voting cards – which use the Liberals’ colours, blue and white – that encourage voters to put the Greens last.

The voting card, which is authorised by a mysterious person called Evros Evripidou, lists identical preference rankings as the Liberal Party voting card, except for the Labor and Greens candidates, who are flipped.

“LIBERAL, Minor Party and Independent VOTERS BEWARE,” the pamphlet states. “Don’t let your vote elect an extremist Green in Northcote.”

These how-to-vote cards have sparked a complaint to the VEC.

In fine print in the bottom corner of the document, it is stated: “This is not an official Liberal Party how-to-vote card.”

Northcote was held by Labor until 2017 when Lidia Thorpe, now a Greens senator, won a one-off byelection. Labor won the seat back at the 2018 general election. The two-party preferred margin is 1.7 per cent, meaning the result could come down to hundreds of votes. Betting company Sportsbet has the Greens as the favourite to win the seat, with odds of $1.75 to Labor’s $2.

The Coalition has referred the matter to the Victorian Electoral Commission and a campaign spokesman said it was “a desperate attempt to sandbag Northcote”. Greens leader Samantha Ratnam said her opponents “must be getting desperate if they’re dressing up as Liberals in Northcote and expecting voters will fall for it”.

A Labor campaign spokeswoman said the party had “not produced or supported the construction or distribution of this how-to-vote card, and it does not support the political statements detailed in [it]”.

Separately, the Victorian Electoral Commission has delivered “cease and desist” letters to teal candidates for the state seats of Hawthorn and Kew, ordering them to stop handing out how-to-vote cards at pre-polling stations that do not allocate preferences and have empty boxes next to other candidates’ names.

Failure to comply with the orders would have left the candidates facing six months’ jail time or an $11,000 fine. The commission said the cards risked confusing voters by encouraging them to cast an invalid vote that did not have all the boxes numbered sequentially.

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