Kathy Duff and Kirstie Schumacher leading early exit poll
An exit poll has revealed two South Burnett mayoral candidates as front runners but an unofficial count by Donut King Kingaroy has a surprisingly different result.
South Burnett
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An early exit poll at the Kingaroy early voting centre on Wednesday has revealed two candidates as front runners.
However, a poll conducted by Donut King Kingaroy has a surprisingly different result.
An exit poll of 46 voters revealed Kathy Duff as the lead, followed by Kirstie Schumacher, Tom Wilson and then Gavin Jones.
The first hour of the exit poll showed a close contest between Ms Duff and Ms Schumacher at an almost even split but in the final 30 minutes, Ms Duff extended her lead.
Reactions were mixed when asking why people chose to vote the way they did with some saying they didn’t know anything about the candidates.
One voter who chose Mr Wilson said his pick was “random”.
A Mr Jones supporter said she voted for him as he had managed to get the councillors in order and working together.
“He’s proven himself as a leader,” she said.
A Kingaroy resident named Gene said she was voting for Ms Duff because of her experience.
“She’s been around for years … she knows what she’s doing,” she said.
The Electoral Commission Queensland reported 1277 people voted in the South Burnett election on Monday and a further 1207 on Tuesday.
A volunteer said they had some challenges on Monday with the storms that passed through causing power outages and voters used torches to help them see as they cast their vote.
At the Kingaroy Shopping Centre, Donut King is conducting its own polling over the past few weeks.
Customers are given coffee beans to put into a tally for mayor and the Division 4 and 6 candidates. Alternatively they can vote for ‘Donuts’, which is already the clear winner.
After donuts, Mr Wilson leads the pack running for mayor followed by Ms Duff, Ms Schumacher and then Mr Jones.
The South Burnett Regional Council election will be held on March 16, 2024.
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