NTEC to keep counting votes until midnight as early polling turnout hits record high

A historic early voter turnout in the Territory is expected to drag out the election count tonight, with the NT Electoral Commission set to only stop counting at midnight.

A HISTORIC early voter turnout in the Territory is expected to drag out the election count tonight, with the NT Electoral Commission set to only stop counting at midnight.

By the time early voting centres shut shop for the final time this election on Friday, a total of 75,537 Territorians, or 53 per cent, had already lodged their ballot either at the centres, or via the post or mobile voting teams.

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This leaves 65,688 enrolled voters on Saturday, though the NT’s relatively low election turnout of 75 per cent on average, would leave about 30,381 people to use the polls today.

The electorate of Nelson had the largest early voter turnout (64.5 per cent), while Gwoja had the lowest.

The NT News can reveal the NTEC has opted for a “fluid” plan once polls close at 6pm, with a total of 70 people to be holed up at the Berrimah location where the pre-poll votes have been stored.

Spread across 14 tables, NTEC staff will be given a run sheet of seats, focusing on the most interesting ones first, like Blain and Fannie Bay.

If there is no clear result as to who could take government in the Territory, counters will switch their attention to seats where the race is tight.

The number of scrutineers has been limited to one per candidate and the NTEC has asked them not to challenge the validity of individual ballots until the recount on Monday, in a bid to speed up the process.

Postal votes will not be counted until tomorrow, when NTEC staff will sort through votes from 10am to 5pm.

Coronavirus restrictions mean the NTEC has had to put safety measures in place and instead of spending thousands of dollars for plastic screens it would have used only once, it’s understood the commission has opted to MacGyver a solution involving industrial-grade cling film. The NTEC has warned voter turnout in “bush” electorates would be poor this election, with some seats facing participation rates of less than 50 per cent.