Early voter exit poll shows Glen Hartwig on track to stay Gympie mayor

An exclusive exit poll of Gympie’s early voters has given a glimpse of how the mayoral election is tracking, and how many of the region’s voters are getting in ahead of election day.

Gympie 2024 council election gauntlet image.

Exit polling of early Gympie voters reveals incumbent mayor Glen Hartwig is likely on track to be returned to his seat on election day.

A poll of 50 voters at the city’s pre-polling station Wednesday morning showed almost two-thirds of voters (29) who had cast their ballot at the Senior Citizens’ Centre were supporting Mr Hartwig’s re-election.

Mark McDonald, a former Division 1 councillor making his first tilt at mayor, was the second-favourite with a quarter of respondents (13) saying he was their choice.

Election newcomer Naomi Wilson rounded out the list with one in six voters (eight) supporting her as their candidate for the seat.

More than 2000 of the region’s voters have already turned out to have their say, Electoral Commission Queensland figures show.

Division 4 candidate Mick Curran, who formed part of the election “gauntlet” lining the path to the voting centre, said voting lines had been backed up to Mellor St waiting for the doors to open in the morning.

More than 2000 voters have passed through the gates to vote early at the 2024 Gympie council election, which is being officially held on March 16.

Not all of those to have passed through them have been thrilled to do so, though.

One resident approached as part of the exit poll said they were not voting as a third tier of government had never been legally established and the process was “treasonous”.

An initial turnout of 993 voters on Monday jumped to 1199 on Tuesday, with hundreds more running the gauntlet to cast their ballots Wednesday.

If the present early voting rate holds, more than a quarter of the region’s 42,565 enrolled residents will have cast their vote before the March 16 election day.

This would be less than the early voter turnout of 12,181 at the 2020 elections, which were held as Covid lockdown rules were coming in force.

Along with the three mayoral candidates, there are 23 fighting for the eight divisional seats up for grabs.

Voters will officially have their say on March 16.