Candidate declares 2020 Local Government election the “weirdest” one ever

The 2020 Local Government election has been described as the “weirdest one ever” by once council candidate. He says it could be weeks before results are known.

Polling day at the Pine Rivers State High School, Saturday March 20, 2020. There are no volunteers handing out how to vote cards as the normally busy booth is quiet because of the Covid-19 outbreak. (AAP/Image Sarah Marshall)

“The weirdest election ever” is over but it could be weeks before results are known.

At the moment Chris Thompson is slightly ahead of fellow mayoral candidate Peter Flannery in the race to be the second mayor of the Moreton Bay Regional Council.

With less than half of the votes counted Chris Thompson has 30.09 per cent and Peter Flannery 29.7 per cent.

Counting is still continuing, but some frontrunners have emerged for a number of divisions across the region including Divisions 3 and 1.

Incumbent councillor for Division 3 Adam Hain said he did a few laps of polling booths on Saturday.

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Division 3 incumbent councillor Adam Hain.

“It was the weirdest election ever,” he said.

“It was just surreal, every one was standing in silence, just a strange atmosphere.”

Cr Hain has taken an early lead, with 54 per cent of the votes, but says it could still be weeks before a winner is officially declared.

It follows a technical glitch on Saturday night which prevented the Electoral Commission from making count tallies available publicly.

Counting has continued to be slow with just 18 per cent of Division 3 votes counted at the time of publishing.

“I am confident,” he said.

“In the five days we were allowed at pre-poll I was getting a good reaction.”

He said he does not expect to be declared as a winner until at least 50 per cent of the total votes had been counted. 

A couple come to vote on polling day at the Pine Rivers State High School, Saturday March 20, 2020. The normally busy booth is quiet because of the Covid-19 outbreak. (AAP/Image Sarah Marshall)

Cr Hain said all he could do now was “sit and wait”.

Cr Hain said he had been keeping a close eye on the mayoral race.

“I was expecting Cr Flannery to be a bit further ahead but Mr Thompson has a good following in the Strathpine area,” Cr Hain said.

“It is neck and neck and I think we will have to wait for the postal votes to be counted by a winner is declared.”

Incumbent Division 1 councillor Brooke Savige also looks set to retain her seat at the council table.

Incumbent Division 1 councillor Brooke Savige is ahead in the counts.

With more than 60 per cent of votes counted Cr Savige has 77 per cent of the vote.

But she is not calling it yet.

“I am just waiting to see the final count,” she said. “But it is a good feeling.”

Cr Savige agreed that Saturday was a “strange” election day.

“I had to rely on the work I had done the past four years and we mostly spent the day at home,” Cr Savige said.

While she tried to watch the counts come in she said it was soon clear that something had gone wrong.

“There was nothing coming through, it had a strange feeling,” she said.

“We watched a movie with the kids instead.”