Brisbane City Council Election 2016: Incumbent Peter Cumming (Wynnum Manly) slams lack of staff at polling booths
ON one of the hottest election days in a decade, Brisbane voters have been hit with queues backing up to almost 150 people at some polling booths.
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INCUMBENT Councillor Peter Cumming (Wynnum Manly) has slammed Electoral Commission Queensland for a lack of staff at a bayside polling booth.
Cr Cumming said he would be writing a letter to ECQ after queues backed up to around 150 people at Wynnum West State School.
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Frustration was commonplace throughout the day with the elderly and young children forced to wait under limited shade.
Cr Cumming said the electoral volunteers were left unprepared.
“I think it shows a lack of preparation,” Cr Cumming said.
“They need more staff on here to get people through quicker.
“Queues (were) backed up to around 150 people at least.”
Queues were not the only issue at Wynnum West today, with a number of people unable to vote in the Wynnum-Manly Ward after their new addresses failed to appear on the electoral role despite claiming they had updated it with QEC.
“There are a lot of people who have changed their addresses months ago but are still not on the role for Wynnum Manly.
“That could make all the difference if it went down to a few votes.”
Wynnum West resident, Darcy O’Dempsey said Wynnum West State School was not fit to be a polling booth.
“Older people really struggle with climbing back up the slope after voting,” Mr O’Dempsey said.
“It shouldn’t be a booth.”
Wynnum West State School is a polling booth in the Brisbane City Council Wynnum-Manly Ward.
Did you have trouble voting due to long lines? Let us know in the comments below.
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