Voter complaints as some prepolling booths difficult to find

Brace yourselves, Gold Coast - as many as 200,000 people could cast their vote weeks in advance as the city’s early voting booths open their doors this morning.

VOTERS are confused and complaining about the locations of some Gold Coast booths as voting got off to a huge start for the October 31 election at prepolling.

Southport MP Rob Molhoek said he has organised to get some prepoll signage early on Monday morning to help give more presence to the Johnston Street booth.

Signs up outside the Southport prepoll booth on the Gold Coast in Johnston Street.

“We had about 40 people lining up at opening time. It has been a steady stream all morning,” Mr Molhoek said.

“We’ve had a lot of people say they went to the Southport Community Centre, and then they’ve come here. There has been a little bit of confusion about the location.

Southport MP Rob Molhoek handing out how-to-vote cards for voters outside the Gold Coast prepoll voting booth.

“I got some signs made just so people could find it. We spent the first hour from about 8 to 9.30 with people saying to us where is the polling centre, walking up to our tent.”

The signage provides pointers to voters at 51 Johnston Street to head down a driveway to the booth hidden behind some shops.

Signs up for Labor candidate Susie Gallagher outside the Southport prepoll booth on the Gold Coast, Monday October 19.

An Ashmore resident told the Bulletin: “The ones around Southport are incredibly inaccessible. The Southport one is on the very northern edge of the electorate. Why not one of the empty shops near a bus stop in the middle of the CBD. It shouldn’t be that hard.”

Only the LNP and Labor, for candidate Susie Gallagher in Southport and Ash Borg in Bonney, were handing out for their parties. One Nation arrived midmorning with signage.

Prepolling at Varsity Lakes. Picture Glenn Hampson.

The Greens and Clive Palmer’s UAP, like in the nearby Gaven electorate, had no presence on the Southport booth.

Mr Molhoek had made up a system of plastic boxes where candidates could have left pamphlets for voters once inside the booth. They were empty apart from LNP and Labor.

The line outside the Nerang prepoll booth on the Gold Coast before opening on Monday 19 October.

EARLIER:

TWO political parties have no presence at one of the Gold Coast’s most marginal seats as prepoll voting started at 9am in the October 31 State election.

Both the Greens and Clive Palmer’s UAP had no signage or volunteers handing out in Gaven at the Price Street prepoll centre at Nerang.

Both minor parties will play a critical role with their preferences possibly determining the outcome of the seat with the ALP on a 0.7 margin.

Thousands are expected to vote early.

Gaven Labor MP Meaghan Scanlon has supporters set up her shade covers and signage as early at 7am.

“We got in early. Obviously we have limited signage. Each political party is limited in the amount of signage they can have,” Ms Scanlon told the Bulletin.

LNP candidate Kirsten Jackson had a team of five supporters all dressed in blue T-shirts arrive just before voting started.

“I will be here every minute, every day,” she said, finding a spot to stand under a large tree on the footpath.

One Nation candidate Sharon Sewell was standing next to her handing out how-to-vote pamphlets.

Legalise Cannabis Queensland candidate Suzette Luyken had been handing out how-to-vote cards earlier.

But the Greens Sally Spain and UAP’s Garry Beck had no signage or support at the booth.

The unions had placed the only negative signage — a warning to voters that a vote for Deb Frecklington would mean job losses, the image including the LNP leader with former Premier Campbell Newman.

EARLIER:

THOUSANDS of Gold Coasters will head to the polls from Monday as prepoll voting for the Queensland State Election officially opens.

As many as 50 per cent of the 401,333 Gold Coast residents on the electoral roll will cast their vote weeks before voting day, according to the Electoral Commission of Queensland’s predictions.

More than 820,000 other voters had applied for a postal vote when applications closed on Friday night.

WHERE TO VOTE EARLY ON THE GOLD COAST

Electoral Commissioner Pat Vidgen urged voters to take care and plan how they were going to vote before heading to the booth.

“This means thinking about their vote before they get to the polling booth, bringing their Voter Information Card if they have one,” he said.

“(Also) staying 1.5 metres apart when voting, using hand sanitiser, and bringing a pen or pencil if they wish.”

CANDIDATES SHOOT DOWN CRUISE SHIP TERMINAL

The March local council election saw long queues of prepoll voters, a spike in numbers due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Susie Gallagher. Picture: Jerad Williams

Southport Labor candidate Susie Gallagher said she was planning to have a number of volunteers at the booths from Monday.

“I’m really excited to finally get voting underway, and give Southport residents a chance to vote for Annastacia Palaszczuk’s plan for economic recovery,” she said.

“I’m anticipating good support from members of the community and volunteers at pre-poll.”

Early voting centres will be open from 9am-6pm Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and 9am-9pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

They will also be open 9am-5pm on October 24 – the Saturday before the election – for the first time in Queensland’s history.