Federal Election 2019: Big rise in numbers of early voters at pre-poll centres

THE old gag “vote early, vote often” is proving half right for Tasmanian voters in this election campaign, with a rush on pre-poll voting.

THE old election-season gag “vote early, vote often” is proving half right for Tasmanian voters in this federal campaign, with a rush on pre-poll voting.

At the Hobart Pre-Poll Voting Centre, officer-in-charge Mat Phipps and his 15 staff have been dealing with an early influx of voters.

By Tuesday night they had helped 3380 people cast their pre-poll vote, among 18,029 cast statewide.

Mr Phipps said pre-poll voting had proved popular with people who were travelling or would be working on election day on May 18.

Anke van Bladeren of North Hobart votes early because her shift work as Mat Phipps, the officer in charge of pre poll voting in Hobart, keeps it all official. PICTURE: Eddie Safarik

“We’ve been very happy with the numbers, the first day was double the expected number and we have had some really good feedback from people coming in to cast their votes,” he said.

“We had a couple of businessmen who were down from Victoria come in and cast their votes and they said it was their best experience of voting in an election.

“They said that next election that want to fly down and vote here again.

“It’s a nice way for people to vote if they are eligible, they don’t have to queue up, they miss out on the sausage sizzle at various polling centres, but they’re certainly expedited through.”

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Staff at the Hobart centre can issue a ballot paper for any Australian House of Representatives seat and Senate ballots for any state.

The Australian Electoral Commission has opened more pre-polling voting centres this week

In total there will be eleven pre-poll voting centres open prior to polling day with currently eight open across the state.

Glenorchy and Kingston pre-poll voting centres opened on Monday and St Helens, Ulverstone and Queenstown premises are opening from this Saturday.

The Australian Electoral Commission’s state manager David Molnar said having the pre-poll option assisted in the aim to give all registered voters in Australia the opportunity to vote.

“We currently have the highest enrolment rate since federation, with 96.8 per cent of eligible voters enrolled to vote nationally and within Tasmania that figure is 97.3 per cent,” he said.

“If people enrolled to vote are busy or may have trouble getting to polling booth on election day, we encourage them to vote early at one of the pre-poll voting centres around the state.”

It is not just eligible Tasmanians who have the opportunity to vote early, interstate travellers are encouraged to vote at any pre-poll voting centres prior to polling day.

A full list of eligibility requirements, as well as pre-poll voting centre locations, can be found on the Australian Electoral Commission website.

People can pre-poll vote when they:

• 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.

Originally published as Federal Election 2019: Big rise in numbers of early voters at pre-poll centres