More than 20 per cent in Katherine vote early as prepolling across NT surges on day three

MORE than one in every five voters in the seat of Katherine have already cast their vote just three days

MORE than one in every five voters in the seat of Katherine have already cast their vote just three days into early polling in the Northern Territory, along with thousands more across the jurisdiction.

The NT is the first jurisdiction in Australia to go to a general election during the COVID-19 era, following Queensland’s local government election and the Federal Eden-Monaro by-election.

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The NT Electoral Commission (NTEC) yesterday confirmed 19,391 people, or 13.7 per cent of all those enrolled, had voted early by the end of day three of pre-polling.

The largest slice is in the seat of Katherine, where 21.9 per cent of voters (1257) had voted in the first 72 hours, closely followed by Nelson (19.4 per cent) and Goyder (17.8 per cent).

A total of 1679 voters had polled via mobile remote stations.

ABC election analyst Antony Green noted that more than half of votes at the 2016 election were lodged early and that record “looks set to be smashed in 2020”.

It comes as the NTEC confirmed those in mandatory quarantine facilities at Howard Springs and in Alice Springs would be provided with some form of voting service if they’re still in forced lockdown on August 22.

Exactly how this will be done is still being finalised but the NTEC and relevant authorities are “working toward providing the service on election day”.

Territorians getting to the voting booths early, Voting booth in Darwin City. Picture Katrina Bridgeford.

Candidates are crediting the early voter turnout in Katherine to the convenience of the polling station, which is located at the Katherine Central Shopping Centre.

But Territory Alliance candidate Mel Usher said Katherine voters had a track record of voting early from her experience.

“I’m not reading that as a negative for me,” she said.

“I don’t think we can really tell either way … it just makes the two weeks go very slowly because we will have to wait a long time to find out (who’s been elected).”

The NTEC has already warned it is “highly likely” counting on election night would be a “slow process” due to the surge in early and postal voting.

Territorians getting to the voting booths early, Voters in Berrimah Jenny Orban Picture Katrina Bridgeford.

In Berrimah, Jenny Orban from Humpty Doo was among dozens of rural residents casting their votes at an early voting centre yesterday.

“I live in the Goyder electorate and went independent this time around, but not for Kezia Purick because I’m hoping for something a little bit different,” she said.

“I’ve lost hope in the major parties, it seems like they’re all too busy fighting each other to care about the rural area.

“I do feel we get overlooked out here. I think we’re in desperate need of some road upgrades out here.”

Territorians getting to the voting booths early, Voters in Berrimah Kim Vernon. Picture Katrina Bridgeford.

Kim Vernon said she came in all the way from Marrakai, about 76km east of Darwin, to vote early in Berrimah yesterday.

“I try to say out of town on Saturdays so I figured I’d get it out of the way,” she said.

“I’m in Goyder and went CLP this time because I’m sick of the same old stuff Labor has been doing for the last few years.

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“I think whoever gets voted in needs to seriously look at upgrading the road structures out this way near the wetlands.

“It seems like they need to refix these roads every year, something more needs to be done.”