Election 2022: Early voting opens as thousands head to pre-polling booths across Sydney

Voters have hit pre-poll booths across Sydney in droves on the first day of early voting. Find out if you’re eligible and where to find your nearest polling place here.

Voters have hit pre-poll booths across Sydney in droves, as fatigue from a gruelling six-week campaign helped drive thousands to cast their ballots early almost two weeks before May 21.

The line to vote stretched outside the door of Randwick Town Hall, which accepted ballots from both the tightly-contested Wentworth electorate and Labor-stronghold, neighbouring Kingsford Smith.

Rusted-on Liberal voter Finlay Crawford said he’d be likely be out of the area on election day but was mostly voting to “get it out of the way”.

He said his feeling was Independents – including Teal candidates like Allegra Spender running against Dave Sharma – would throw government in disarray.

“I don’t think Independents are a good thing. They just stuff everything up,” he said.

Liberal voter Finlay Crawford pre-polled at Randwick Town Hall to “get it out of the way”. Picture: John Grainger

“It’ll end up like last time – you’ll have to deal with the independents to get things done which (ended) Julia Gillard.”

Graham Hackney, a retired schoolteacher from Randwick, voted while wearing a T-shirt depicting Scott Morrison on holiday in Hawaii, but was no fan of the Prime Minister.

“I find it an affront to the rest of Australia how he behaves,” he said.

“‘Albo’ is a reasonable, decent person.

“We need a change and we need a vision.”

Retired teacher Graham Hackney was keen to vote against Scott Morrison. Picture: John Grainger

Mates Joe Mcgaffin, 21, and Jordan Newbound, 23, plan on spending May 21 on a beach in Bali instead of a polling booth.

The elder voter could remember casting his ballot in the last election and wasn’t keen to wait in line again.

“It was pretty long. It was a bit of a slog,” he said of his last time voting.

One long-time Liberal party volunteer handing out leaflets said she hadn’t seen “queues of people” at midday on the first day of voting ever before.

“I’ve been pre polling for as long as it’s gone on and I haven’t seen anything like this,” she said.

Bali-bound mates Jordan Newbound and Joe Mcgaffin also voted early. Picture: John Grainger

Pre-poll voting for this election is tipped to rise, after a 58 per cent rise in early voting from the 2016 to the 2019 elections.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR PRE-POLL VOTING?

Are you eligible for early voting in NSW? According to the Australian Electoral Commission, you can vote early either in person or by post if on election day you:

• are outside the electorate where you are enrolled to vote

• are more than 8km from a polling place

• are travelling

• are unable to leave your workplace to vote

• are seriously ill, infirm or due to give birth shortly (or caring for someone who is)

• are a patient in hospital and can‘t vote at the hospital

• have religious beliefs that prevent you from attending a polling place

• are in prison serving a sentence of less than three years or otherwise detained

• are a silent elector

• have a reasonable fear for your safety or wellbeing.

WHERE YOU CAN VOTE EARLY

LIBERALS FORCED TO PULL EASTERN SUBURBS CAMPAIGN MATERIAL

The Liberals have been forced to pull campaign material on the first day of pre-poll voting, after an embarrassing gaffe on how-to-vote leaflets potentially invalided hundreds of ballots.

Liberal how to vote cards handed out in Randwick incorrectly numbered candidates running for Kingsford Smith, potentially rendering them invalid. Picture: Supplied

Residents voting in parts of the eastern suburbs electorate of Kingsford Smith were met with leaflets from Liberal volunteers imploring them to vote for their candidate Grace Tan, with a series of numbered boxes illustrated on the form.

While voters were implored to place a ‘1’ next to Ms Tan’s box, the wheels fall off soon after – with no second or fourth options nominated on the form.

It also states voters should place Labor’s Matt Thistlewaite as their seventh choice and United Australia Party candidate Anthony Tawaf as their sixth – despite their only being five candidates for the seat.

The Australian Electoral Commission confirmed ballots would be invalid if voters numbered the boxes as suggested on the Liberal leaflet.

A spokesman from the Liberal Party confirmed the leaflets had been pulled shortly after being alerted to the error by The Daily Telegraph.

“A small number of HTVs (how to votes) in Kingsford Smith have been removed due to a printing error,” he said.

The Liberals already faced an uphill battle in the electorate, which has been held by Labor since its establishment in 1972.

Labor’s Matt Thistlethwaite, who was first elected in 2013, currently enjoys a safe 8.8 per cent margin.