Gold Coast Election 2020: Voting finishes as tech issues slow counting

The Electoral Commission blamed technical issues after a massive delay in updates in the council election and Currumbin by-election last night.

THE Electoral Commission of Queensland will invite scrutineers to observe counting today after technical issues slowed updates last night.

In a statement, the ECQ said preliminary counts were underway.

“We’re having technical issues displaying results online. We are working on the issue,” a spokesperson said.

Voters at Main Beach polling Station. (Photo/Steve Holland)

FIGURES REVEAL SHOCK VOTER TURNOUT

“Preliminary count continues tonight to around 10pm. The official count begins tomorrow.”

But by 10pm there were no changes to the early voting recorded in only some divisions.

Mark Hammel, who was favoured to win, had a strong lead in Division 1 but few votes had been published.

Councillor William Owen-Jones was facing a tough battle with rival John Wayne in Division 2, but again just more than two per cent of the vote had been counted.
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Councillors Bob La Castra and Glenn Tozer appeared to be in stronger positions again with little of the vote counted. Counts at other northern booths were not published.

Councillors Pauline Young and Daphne McDonald both held the lead in Divisions 12 and 13 with less than 3 per cent of the votes in.

It may be days before a result is known. (Photos/Steve Holland)

WHAT WILL HAPPEN IN CURRUMBIN BY-ELECTION

Results for Divisions 10, 11 and 14 remained unpublished. Division 14 candidate Gloria Baker confirmed she didn’t believe a result would be announced “until (Sunday) night”.

Other candidates have said it may be days before the Gold Coast has its newest council.