Attorney-General Yvette D’Ath backs review into ECQ handling of council elections

The Attorney-General says she supports an external review of the council elections after widespread criticism of slow counts, polling day queues, voters being turned away and a shortage of ballots. The final result will not be known until next week.

A long queue at a Coorparoo booth. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Tertius Pickard

Attorney-General Yvette D’Ath says she supports an external review of the council elections after widespread criticism of slow counts, polling day queues, voters being turned away and a shortage of ballots.

Ms D’Ath’s comments came after news that the final result in last Saturday’s Brisbane City Council election would not be known until at least Tuesday, with the formal count in key wards not resuming until then.

As of Friday, March 22, only four of Brisbane’s 26 wards were formally declared by the Electoral Commission of Queensland (ECQ) — Chandler, Hamilton, McDowall and Bracken Ridge.

Residents in at least two wards still did not know who their new councillor would be, including Wynnum and Northgate.

The Greens’ Walter Taylor Michaela Sargent meanwhile conceded defeat on Thursday, March 21, in a post on her Facebook page.

Yvette D'Ath. Picture: Steve Pohlner

However, LNP scrutineers said it was still not over yet, with a courier delivering more postal votes on Friday afternoon which had yet to be counted.

Despite that the LNP still expected to maintain a small lead over the Greens and take the Indooroopilly-based ward.

“I’m so proud of the campaign that we ran. I can’t express my appreciation enough to the hundreds of volunteers who chipped in to our Greens movement in Walter Taylor by knocking on doors, delivering letters, making phone calls, hosting yard signs and so much more,’’ Ms Sargent posted.

Northgate was too close to call even though LNP City Planning Chair Adam Allan (45.8 per cent of the primary vote) was well ahead of Labor’s Vicki Ryan (34.5 per cent) on Friday’s count.

Some observers said Krista Adam’s hold on Holland Park ward was shaky despite a 45.5 per cent primary vote, compared to 28.5 per cent for Labor’s Shane Warren, who was just ahead of the Greens’ David Ford.

A long queue at a Coorparoo booth. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Tertius Pickard

There has been criticism from Lord Mayoral Adrian Schrinner, Ipswich Mayor Teresa Harding, former Brisbane mayor Jim Soorley and state MPs and councillors across Queensland about the Electoral Commission of Queensland’s (ECQ) handling of this year’s poll.

Complaints included the slow count, long queues at polling booths and problems such as voters wrongly being turned away early or ballot papers running.

In one Fortitude Valley booth, voters living outside the local Central ward were told to go to City Hall and rejoin the queue there, as returning officers were unable to access their details because a printer was too small.

Ms D’Ath said she had met with Electoral Commissioner Pat Vidgen who told her the ECQ had committed to a detailed review.

It would be released before the October state election.

“It is my expectation that this review will identify areas for improvement, including a review of staffing levels, to ensure the ECQ improves the voting experience for voters,’’ she said.

Queensland Electoral Commissioner Pat Vidgen. Picture: Glenn Campbell/NCA NewsWire

The review, by an “external third party’’, would include reports from auditors working in the field on election day, data on voting trends and polling booth demand, a post-election survey of voters and local governments.

There have been claims there were not enough staff rostered on, possibly due to a lower-than-expected prepoll turnout.

An ECQ spokeswoman said counting began at 6pm on election night and had continued each day since then.

“When considering if a declaration of an elected candidate can be made, the ECQ must be certain that the number of ballot papers outstanding and the preferences marked by electors cannot change the outcome,’’ she said.

The cut-off for return of postal ballots was Tuesday, March 26.

“Where required, we will wait for the final postal ballots to ensure all available ballot papers are included in the preference count,’’ she said.

“The ECQ will only make declarations once there is absolute certainty about the result.’’

Originally published as Attorney-General Yvette D’Ath backs review into ECQ handling of council elections