Dinosaur and volunteers keep election staff on their toes

Southside voters were surprised to see an angry Assistant Returning officer dragging off a dinosaur from outside a polling station as election staff patrolled coronavirus rules and booth policies.

The blowup dinosaur was confiscated by the Assistant Returning Officer.

VOTERS at a southside booth were surprised to see an angry Assistant Returning officer dragging off a dinosaur from outside a polling station early this morning.

Electoral Commission staff have been monitoring booths in Logan to make sure candidates and campaign volunteers are not flouting tough coronavirus restrictions or polling regulations.

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Assistant Returning Officer Mary Langler confiscated a blowup dinosaur that Division 3 candidate Mindy Russell was using as a mascot.

Ms Russell made headlines last month when her trailer containing a dinosaur statue, called Russell the Raptor, was parked outside a local high school.

Ms Russell said she received an angry early morning call from the Assistant Returning Officer who was later seen dragging away one of Ms Russell’s dinosaur props from a booth at Daisy Hill.

Ms Russell was also asked to remove any volunteers from polling booths.

“My volunteers are wearing my t-shirts and are outside the school grounds obeying the social distancing rules.

Some of the signs and a blow-up dinosaur outside a booth at Daisy Hill.

“My six blowup dinosaurs are not in anybody’s way - the vibe here is so serious and we are just trying make people feel a bit happier about doing something they don’t want to do.”

ECQ staff were also at Browns Plains where volunteers were told to move on.

Lines were taped on the ground to ensure voters kept the obligarory 1.5m distance from others.

Taped yellow lines mark the spot where voters had to stand to keep their distance as part of strict coronavirus rules.

Resident Katrina Christie, wearing a Team Elijah t-shirt, arrived at the driveway to the Browns Plains State School polling booth to wave a corflute sign for Division 8 candidate Elijah Buol.

Browns Plains booth where volunteers were moved on.

However, at 10am, she received a call from her campaign team, telling her she had to move as she was violating an Electoral Commission Queensland’s direction that “all persons are prohibited for canvassing for votes” at polling booths.

An ECQ officer at the polling booth had spoken to her a few minutes previously, but Ms Christie said it was just to say hello.

Mr Buol confirmed he received a call from the ECQ requesting Ms Christie move.

On March 20, the ECQ issued a suite of measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

If candidates wanted to issue how-to-vote cards, they would have to hand them to the booth superviser to distribute rather than directly to voters.

And the placing of election signs within 100m of polling booths was prohibited until 5am this morning.

Mayoral candidate John Freeman said this has led to a mad rush this morning.

He said he woke up at 3.30am, began placing signs at booths at 5am, and wouldn’t be finished until about noon.

Ms Christie, meanwhile, shrugged off the news.

“Oh well, it means I get to go home now,” she said, smiling.