New mayor Helen Blackburn calls for fines to be waived following ECQ election day blunders

ALP Bundaberg MP Tom Smith and new Bundaberg Mayor Helen Blackburn have called for no fines in the wake of voting dramas at polling booths on council election day.

New mayor Helen Blackburn calls for fines to be waived following ECQ election day blunders.

New Bundaberg mayor Helen Blackburn is calling for fines to be waived for anyone who did not vote in the council election in response to complaints of delays and disorganisation at polling booths around the region.

Social media was rife with complaints from voters about waiting for more than one hour due to perceived understaffing of polling booths by Electoral Commission Queensland officials.

MORE NEWS: Woman rushed to hospital as shed goes up in flames

Diane Van Asperen said on Facebook she had waited for an hour to vote at the Bundaberg State School polling place, while another commenter, Stewart Birch, said he had seen people walking away from the queues saying they would rather pay a fine.

Voters reported waiting for more than an hour at some polling booths around Bundaberg, with many booths also running out of ballot papers.

Under the Queensland Local Government Electoral Act 2011, any registered voter who does not vote in a state or council election will receive a fine, currently valued at $154.80 according to the ECQ website.

Ms Blackburn said she had spoken to ALP Bundaberg MP Tom Smith on Monday to request all fines be waived due to the obstacles experienced by voters.

“I know the workers on the ground did their best but they didn’t have enough staff or enough ballot papers,” Ms Blackburn said.

“The public should not have to pay for the inefficiencies of the ECQ.”

Apart from long queues, Ms Blackburn said she had received feedback from voters living outside Division 4 being turned away when trying to vote at the Bundaberg State School polling place, and polling booths across the region ran out of ballot papers.

“ECQ really needs to lift their game because Bundaberg Regional Council pays for that service, so it’s important that the service is provided to the people of Bundaberg,” she said.

Helen Blackburn said ECQ needs to 'lift their game' in providing a more efficient electoral service for Bundaberg residents.

Mr Smith confirmed he had spoken with Ms Blackburn, and had written to Premier Steven Miles and Attorney-General Yvette D’Ath to request that the fines be waived.

ECQ released a statement on Monday stating that a lower than expected early voting turnout contributed to the longer queues seen around the state on Saturday.

“With absentee voting not available, we understand that the high volume of Queenslanders presenting at polling booths outside of their council areas or divisions, compounded wait times.

“We acknowledge that there were long queues in some places as a result of this, which was regrettable,” electoral commissioner of Queensland Pat Vidgen said.

New mayor Helen Blackburn calls for fines to be waived following ECQ election day blunders.

The 2024 election saw a shift back to election day voting, with lower numbers of postal and pre-poll votes seen than in previous elections.

“While many electors took advantage of the five-week window to apply for a postal vote and to vote early, before election day, in these elections it appears there was a shift back toward election day voting,” he said.

MORE NEWS: Man in alleged swimming hole assault viral video fronts court

While acknowledging that ballot papers ran out in some polling booths, Mr Vidgen said they were replenished “as quickly as possible” by returning officers.