NT Electoral Commission confirms 7% drop in participation rate in 2024 election
A third of eligible voters chose not to cast their ballot in the Territory election, with a handful of seats coming down to the wire with fewer than 100 votes dividing candidates
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A third of eligible voters chose not to cast their ballot in the Northern Territory election, with a handful of seats coming down to the wire with less than 100 votes dividing candidates.
The NT Electoral Commission estimated just under 49,000 Territorians did not vote in the August election amid plummeting democratic participation rates across all electorates.
On Thursday, Commissioner Kirsten Kelly said the participation rate dropped to just 68 per cent — down 7 per cent from the 2020 election — with the election watchdogs to reflect on the low turnout over the next few months.
Fewer than half of eligible voters cast their ballot in the bush seats of Arafura, Gwoja and Mulka, however declining democratic participation also hit the urban centres.
Ms Kelly said while there was not a huge increase to the voting population, an additional 12,000 people were added to the electoral role, with the NT reaching 90 per cent enrolment rates for the first time.
She said because of the changes to automatic enrolment impacting bush seats, the NTEC ran a 19-week education and engagement program visiting more than 70 communities.
“We’ll look at ways that we can improve that (education) message,” Ms Kelly said.
“There are a lot of participants to make a successful election.
“That includes candidates in promoting their candidacy, it also includes the elector in participating in the election, and the media in raising awareness.”
Ms Kelly said a post-election survey of non-voters would also look into reasons why Territorians chose not to vote, with a NTEC report to assess its own practices.
She also confirmed recounts were triggered for the seats of Barkly, Casuarina, Fannie Bay, and critically, Nightcliff, as the final preferences were decided by fewer than 100 votes.
Ms Kelly said the race in what used to be Labor’s safest seat meant the NTEC had to closely inspect the preference flows in Nightcliff.
She said for the “first time” the NTEC conducted a “three-candidate preferred” count, before narrowing down to the final two, Labor member Natasha Fyles and Greens’ Kat McNamara.
“Where you have more candidates, and not a lot of votes you do see those preferences come into play, and it’s a very important part of our voting system,” Ms Kelly said.
“Their number ones are valuable, as well as their numbers two, threes, all the way through the ballot paper.”
As of Thursday afternoon the NTEC has Ms McNamara ahead of Ms Fyles, meaning the Greens are set to win their first ever Territory seat.
However, Ms Kelly said another 24 postal votes were yet to be counted, with another 50 mail in ballots that may arrive before the midday Friday deadline.
Across the NT around 450 postal votes are yet to be counted, with another 700 mail-in ballots potentially to arrive before deadline for receipt of votes.
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Originally published as NT Electoral Commission confirms 7% drop in participation rate in 2024 election
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