Competition heats up between 12 candidates on McPherson ballot

The Bulletin asked 200 voters leaving early voting on the Gold Coast how they cast their ballots. This is what we found.

Early voters turn out at pre-polling in the seat of McPherson at Share-N-Care Centre in Palm Beach's Tenth Ave. Picture Glenn Hampson

Candidates in the Southern Gold Coast electorate of McPherson have decreed the voters want change – and with a stacked ballot paper there are plenty of alternate options for voters to choose from.

But early voting data shows the additional choices might not have done much to destabilise the seat as an LNP stronghold.

The green slip in McPherson is rather long, with 12 candidates vying to be MP for the region – the highest number of candidates in any Queensland electorate.

Candidate for the Greens in McPherson, Amanda Kennealy, said the squadron of hopefuls was good for her chances.

Early voters turn out at pre-polling in the seat of McPherson at Share-N-Care Centre in Palm Beach's Tenth Ave. Green Candidate Amanda Kennealy out campaigning. Picture: Glenn Hampson.

“It’s been such a safe LNP seat for so long,” Ms Kennealy said.

She said the seat has been “ignored” because of its status as a “safe seat”, and having more names on the ballot might mean less support for the LNP.

But of 200 voters who exited polling booths in McPherson on Tuesday, exactly half said they had voted for the LNP.

Admittedly, the only people reliably willing to disclose their vote were older men who said things like, “is there any other party?”

One man with a gruff voice lamented he had only once voted for Labor – when Bob Hawke was the Labor leader – and “regretted it.”

A woman in her 30s was one of 14 people who said they voted for the Teal candidate, Erchana Murray-Bartlett.

“I’m really distressed about politics right now,” she said.

She said she voted Ms Murray-Bartlett because she saw her as a “powerful female.”

“The men that are in charge just don’t represent me,” she said.

Early voters turn out at pre-polling in the seat of McPherson at Share-N-Care Centre in Palm Beach's Tenth Ave. Former Councillor Chris Robbins giving out how to vote cards out for Independant Erchana Murray-Bartlett. Picture: Glenn Hampson.

Ms Keneally said: “I think the preferences will definitely come into play.”

Of those willing to divulge next to which name they drew the coveted 1, less than one quarter (49) said they had voted for Labor.

Eighteen said they had voted for the Greens, seven for One Nation, four for the Trumpet of Patriots and there were seven in total for the other names combined.

In hours of pestering voters to disclose who they voted for, less than five candidly admitted to a donkey vote.

More than all those tallies combined, though, were voters who were sanctimoniously outraged by the vulgar idea of voting and telling, whose results will not be known until May 3.