Local Government Elections Updates

The ECQ has today declared the final four roles to be filled in the 2020 local government elections. The election of all 578 mayors and councillors in Queensland’s 77 local governments have now been declared.

Elected candidates

All positions in the Gold Coast City Council, Scenic Rim Regional Council, Tablelands Regional Council, Torres Shire Council, Torres Strait Island Regional Council and Whitsunday Regional Council local government elections have now been formally declared.

A full list of all the declarations made today is below.

Elected candidates

All positions in the Cassowary Coast Regional Council and Northern Peninsula Area Regional Council local government elections have now been formally declared.

A full list of all the declarations made today is below.

Elected candidates

All positions in the Brisbane City Council, Fraser Coast Regional Council, Hope Vale Aboriginal Shire Council, Redland City Council and Sunshine Coast Regional Council local government elections have now been formally declared.

Further declarations will be made tomorrow.

A full list of all the declarations made today is below.

Elected candidates

The ECQ has formally declared more than 500 of the 578 Mayor and Councillor positions to be decided in the 2020 local government elections.

All positions in the Barcaldine Regional Council, Central Highlands Regional Council, Doomadgee Aboriginal Shire Council, Gympie Regional Council, Lockhart River Aboriginal Shire Council, Mornington Shire Council, Palm Island Aboriginal Shire Council, South Burnett Regional Council and Townsville City Council local government elections have now been formally declared.

A full list of all the declarations made today is below.

Elected candidates

All positions in the Cairns Regional Council, Cook Shire Council, Croydon Shire Council, Mackay Regional Council, Pormpuraaw Aboriginal Shire Council and Woorabinda Aboriginal Shire Council local government elections have now been formally declared.

A full list of all the declarations made today is below.

Elected candidates

The ECQ has declared 420 of the 578 Mayor and Councillor roles to be decided by the 2020 local government elections.

All positions in the Charters Towers Regional Council, Flinders Shire Council and Mapoon Aboriginal Shire Council local government elections have now been formally declared:

A full list of all the declarations made today is below.

Elected candidates

The ECQ has declared further results in the local government elections listed below.

All positions in the Carpentaria Shire Council, Ipswich City Council and Paroo Shire Council local government areas have now been formally declared:

A full list of all the declarations made today is below.

Elected candidates

The ECQ has declared further results in the local government elections listed below.

All positions in the following local government areas have now been formally declared:

• Barcoo Shire Council
• Bulloo Shire Council
• Bundaberg Regional Council
• Diamantina Shire Council
• Lockyer Valley Regional Council
• Longreach Regional Council
• Maranoa Regional Council
• McKinlay Shire Council
• Noosa Shire Council
• North Burnett Regional Council
• Quilpie Shire Council
• Toowoomba Regional Council
• Western Downs Regional Council.

A full list of all the declarations made today is below.

Elected candidates

The count resumed today, with further results declared in the local government elections listed below.

All positions in the Aurukun Shire Council, Banana Shire Council, Blackall-Tambo Regional Council, Boulia Shire Council, Burke Shire Council, Douglas Shire Council, Etheridge Shire Council, Isaac Regional Council, Kowanyama Aboriginal Shire Council, Napranum Aboriginal Shire Council and Southern Downs Regional Council elections have been formally declared.

Elected candidates

The ECQ has formally declared the results of state by-elections in Bundamba and Currumbin:

It has also declared further results in the local government elections listed below.

All positions in the Balonne Shire Council, Burdekin Shire Council, Cloncurry Shire Council, Goondiwindi Regional Council, Livingstone Shire Council, Mount Isa City Council, Somerset Regional Council, Winton Shire Council and Wujal Wujal Aboriginal Shire Council elections have been formally declared.

The count will pause for Good Friday, and resume on Saturday, 11 April.

Elected candidates

The ECQ formally declared further results in the local government elections listed below.

Elected candidates

On Tuesday, 7 April, the ECQ formally declared results in the local government elections listed below.

All positions in the Hinchinbrook Shire Council election have been formally declared, bringing the total of completed elections to 3.

Elected candidates

The deadline for the submission of postal votes is 5pm tomorrow, April 7. Any ballot papers received after this will not be included in the count. Following receipt of postal votes by the ECQ, they will be distributed to relevant councils for counting.

Murweh Shire Council joins Rockhampton Regional Council as the first local government areas to have all positions formally declared.

To date, a total of 23 mayors and 47 councillors across 32 local government areas have been officially declared as elected under section 100 of the Local Government Electoral Act 2011.

The 2020 local government elections will decide 578 mayors and councillors across 77 councils.

Elected candidates

Results will be declared progressively once the formal count indicates that no other candidate can be successful.

Successful candidates can be sworn in once all council positions in the local government area have been declared. Councils will remain in caretaker mode until this time.

Counting continued today in the 2020 local government elections.

The ECQ has formally declared further results.

To date, a total of 18 mayors and 39 councillors across 26 local government areas have been officially declared as elected under section 100 of the Local Government Electoral Act 2011.

The 2020 local government elections will decide 578 mayors and councillors across 77 councils.

Elected candidates

Results will be declared progressively once the formal count indicates that no other candidate can be successful.

Successful candidates can be sworn in once all council positions in the local government area have been declared. Councils will remain in caretaker mode until this time.

The ECQ has formally declared further results in the 2020 local government elections.

To date, a total of 18 mayors and 35 councillors across 26 local government areas have been officially declared as elected under section 100 of the Local Government Electoral Act 2011.

The 2020 local government elections will decide 578 mayors and councillors across 77 councils.

Elected candidates

Returning officers will continue to count over the weekend and results will be declared progressively once the formal count indicates that no other candidate can be successful.

Counting continues in the 2020 local government elections and state by-elections.

The counting of votes in all local government elections and the state by-elections is continuing, with local Returning Officers completing the unofficial preliminary counts and commencing official counts in which the preliminary results are checked and re-counted.

Results are reported to the ECQ for verification and checking before being released on the ECQ’s results website. The website is regularly updated throughout the course of the day as results are reported from Returning Officers across the state and verified for public release.

The ECQ will not declare results in individual elections until the formal count shows that it is mathematically impossible for any other candidate to be successful. This may be some time after candidates themselves declare or concede, particularly where the count is close.

The local government elections determine the outcome of the election of 578 mayors and councillors across Queensland’s 77 councils and involves the counting of over five million ballot papers throughout multiple stages of the counting process.

As a result, the finalisation of results and declarations of elections for all councils generally takes more than two weeks from the election date.  For these elections, this timeframe may be extended due to the need to await the return of postal votes, and the social distancing measures implemented for the counting process in the 2020 elections.

Transition arrangements

Elected mayors or councillors may not take up their positions until the results of the elections for both mayor and councillors in each local government area are formally declared by ECQ. Until that happens, councils remain in caretaker mode.

In divided councils, the ECQ will declare the results for councillors in each division or ward as they become clear. In undivided councils, a single declaration will be issued for councillors. Mayoral declarations may be made separately to councillor declarations for all councils, depending on the timing of results.

Postal Votes

The return and scrutiny of the approximately 570,000 postal votes from the local government elections is ongoing.  To date, almost 314,000 postal votes have been returned, scrutinised and either admitted to or rejected from the count for the local government elections, with another 4,200 of the 5,400 postal votes issued for the Currumbin and Bundamba by-elections returned and scrutinised.

The deadline for return of postal votes is Tuesday, 7 April 2020.

Counting continues in the 2020 local government elections and state by-elections.

The ECQ has formally declared results in uncontested local government elections. A total of 15 mayors and 31 councillors across 24 local government areas have been officially declared as elected under section 100 of the Local Government Electoral Act 2011. View the election results notices.

These positions only had one candidate in the local government elections and, following notification in The Courier Mail and local newspapers, the candidates have been officially declared to be elected. The listed of elected candidates is below.

Returning officers are continuing to count votes in individual local government areas and in the Bundamba and Currumbin by-elections, and the process of exchanging votes between Brisbane City Council wards is also being undertaken under strict requirements that apply to the transfer of ballot papers.

The return and scrutiny of the approximately 570,000 postal votes from the local government elections is ongoing.  To date, almost 213,000 postal votes have been returned, scrutinised and either admitted to or rejected from the count for the local government elections, with another 3,500 postal votes scrutinised for the Currumbin and Bundamba by-elections.  Those postal votes will now be returned to the relevant Returning Officer for counting.

The deadline for return of postal votes is Tuesday, 7 April 2020.  Due to the large volume of postal votes in the local government elections, it may be necessary to await the return, scrutiny and counting of postal votes in order to determine the outcome of close contests.

Elected candidates

10.00pm update

The ECQ advises that technical issues are slowing the display of count results on the ECQ website. Our team is working on resolving the issues. The preliminary count has proceeded as expected and the official count begins tomorrow. Results will be available on the website as soon as possible.

In order to ensure candidates can access information regarding the count, one scrutineer per candidate are now immediately allowed entry to polling booths. This direction has been conveyed to booth supervisors and scrutineers will be allowed access to polling booths.

11.30pm update

The preliminary count proceeded as scheduled tonight.  ECQ experienced a data feed issue from polling booths to its website. Additional results from the preliminary count have now been published on the website and the remainder of the count to date will be published tonight.

ECQ is working through the technical issues to ensure the results from the official count are published as scheduled on Sunday.

12.30am 29 March update

The election results website now reflects all votes that have been counted this evening.

If there is a zero reflected beside a local government division it is because the counting officials did not focus on that division but most likely the Mayor count.

When the result, like Brisbane Mayor refers to 41.62%, the gap is because postal votes, telephone votes and probably early votes are yet to be counted.

ECQ will continue to work through the night to test the technical issues which inhibited tonight’s publication of the preliminary count.  ECQ expects the official count to proceed as scheduled tomorrow.

All political parties, candidates, the LGAQ and the media will be notified immediately.

More than 1 million electors have cast their vote ahead of the local government elections on Saturday.

This is in addition to the 570,000 people who will receive a postal vote. This means that nearly half of eligible voters have voted, or have made arrangements to vote, ahead of Saturday’s polling day.

The Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young has again reassured Queenslanders that there is no risk going to vote on Saturday.

Dr Young said “we know, due to our fantastic pre-polling arrangements, and with the way Queenslanders have responded, and with the postal vote process, with all of that the number of Queenslanders left to vote by Saturday will be relatively small”.

Scrutineers and election signage

The ECQ has issued a Direction regarding scrutineering arrangements at the elections, in accordance with new electoral regulations which came into force on 26 March 2020.

Under the regulations, no election signage can be erected around polling booths until 5am on election day, Saturday 28 March.

The number of scrutineers observing the count is now limited to one per candidate, in order to support social distancing measures throughout the count.

Electronically assisted voting (telephone voting)

More than 30,000 people have registered for a telephone vote, and more than 20,000 have voted, leaving around 10,000 people still to vote by phone.

The Commissioner continues to urge healthy voters to stay off the phones and vote in person. Telephone voting is a limited service specifically for our most vulnerable and isolated citizens.

Early Voting

As at 6.30pm, over 120,000 electors had cast their votes with booths staying open until 9pm this evening. This brings the total number of early voters to over 1 million.

Yesterday was the biggest day so far for early voting, with over 140,000 people casting their vote to 9pm yesterday.

Early voting centres will open until 9pm tonight, and 6pm on Friday.

Postal voting

All 570 000 postal vote ballots have now been lodged with Australia Post for delivery.

Completed ballot material should be returned to the ECQ as soon as possible to assist with the counting process – the deadline for completion is 6pm on election day, but it is not necessary to wait until this time.

If voters are concerned they will not receive their postal ballots in time to vote, they can still vote at early voting centres, or on election day.

The Electoral Commissioner has implored healthy Queenslanders not to apply for telephone voting.

Telephone voting is a limited service specifically for our most vulnerable and isolated citizens. The ECQ has increased capacity ten-fold to help extend the service to people who have been advised to self-isolate as a result of COVID-19.  However, the telephone voting service is experiencing unprecedented demand, including people who are not eligible for a telephone vote, jeopardising the availability of the service for those who most need it.

Most electors are able to vote in person and precautions are being taken to ensure voting is quick and safe.

To help voters better understand the additional health measures in place in polling booths and early voting centres, the ECQ has released a short video.

Electronically assisted voting (telephone voting)

More than 26,000 people have registered for a telephone vote, and more than 16,000 have voted, leaving around 10,000 people still to vote by phone.

Early voting

Today was the biggest day to date for early voting. As at 5.30pm, nearly 120,000 electors had cast their votes with booths staying open until 9pm this evening. This brings the total number of early voters to over 870,000.

Centres will open until 9pm today and tomorrow, and 6pm on Friday.

Postal voting

All 570 000 postal vote ballots have now been lodged with Australia Post for delivery.

Completed ballot material should be returned to the ECQ as soon as possible to assist with the counting process – the deadline for completion is 6pm on election day, but it is not necessary to wait until this time.

If voters are concerned they will not receive their postal ballots in time to vote, they can still vote at early voting centres, or on election day.

The local government elections are proceeding on 28 March. Elections are an essential service that allow local government to form so that they can make decisions about providing services to the community – waste, transport, and community services.  

Early voting is continuing with extended hours for the second week.  The ECQ has created more than 300 additional roles across more than 100 early voting centres to help voters move smoothly through the voting process and maintain social distancing.

Early Voting

Daily voting numbers have remained at high levels at the start of the second week of early voting. As at 6pm, over 100,000 electors had cast their votes on the sixth day of early voting, bringing the total number of early voters to more than 650,000.

Early voting centres will open until 6pm this week, and until 9pm on Wednesday and Thursday.

Electronically assisted voting (telephone voting)

Telephone voting is available to people who are eligible under legislation, such as those not able to attend a polling place due to illness, impairment or disability. People who have been advised by a medical practitioner to remain in isolation during the election period due to exposure to COVID-19 are also eligible to access telephone voting.

Almost 14,000 people have registered for telephone voting and nearly 8,000 people have cast their vote as at 5pm. Additional capacity has been provided for the telephone voting service to respond to the high level of demand.

Community fundraising events

The ECQ has written to owners of polling booths confirming that the elections will proceed on 28 March, and requesting that they carefully consider whether community fundraising events should proceed in light of the most recent health advice.

Voter Information Cards

Around three-quarters of today’s voters have presented their Voter Information Cards (hard copy or email) at polling booths. The cards make it faster and easier to mark voters off the roll and issue ballot papers, assisting with quick movement of voters through polling booths.

By-elections

The ECQ is continuing to work to advice from heath authorities and to adjust is election delivery where required.

As a result, voting for the Bundamba by-election is now taking place in an adjacent room to local government election polling at some polling booths in the area. This is to help keep the number of people within each room below 100.

The Count

With just a week until counting begins, the ECQ is revising its standard approach to counting of votes to accommodate the increased number of postal and early ballots, and apply recommended health measures around the size of indoor gatherings.

As a result of these operational adjustments, it is likely that it will take longer for results to be declared.

The Electoral Commissioner has issued a new Direction regarding display of how-to-vote cards and election material at polling booths.

The Direction PDF (0.05 MB) prohibits all persons from canvassing for votes or distributing how-to-vote cards or election material at polling booths and allows for display of relevant materials at polling booths.

Early voting in the elections continues to exceed planned levels. In addition, the uptake of telephone voting has already surpassed 2016 levels, and this is expected to increase further as telephone voting is offered in place of electoral officer visits to some declared institutions.

Early Voting

As at 5pm, over 95,000 electors had cast their votes on the fifth day of early voting, bringing the total number of early voters to over 500,000.

In a Queensland first, early voting centres will be open from 9am to 5pm on Saturday – tomorrow 21 March. Centres will open until 6pm next week, and until 9pm on Wednesday and Thursday.

Electronically assisted voting (telephone voting)

Telephone voting is available to people who are eligible under legislation, such as those not able to attend a polling place due to illness, impairment or disability.

Over 7,500 people have registered for telephone voting and over 3,600 people have cast their vote as at 5pm.

Postal voting

The ECQ continues to process an unprecedented number of postal vote applications. Postal ballots are currently being sent, and the ECQ has begun to receive completed postal ballots.

Completed ballot material should be returned to the ECQ as soon as possible to assist with the counting process – the deadline for completion is 6pm on election day, but it is not necessary to wait until this time.

Voter Information Cards

Nearly two-thirds of today’s voters have presented their Voter Information Cards (hard copy or email) at polling booths. The cards make it faster and easier to mark voters off the roll and issue ballot papers, assisting with quick movement of voters through polling booths.

Early voting centres are again open for late night voting tonight.

Amendments to legislation

Urgent legislation passed by the Parliament on the evening of 18 March 2020 provides contingency powers for the Minister for Local Government, in consultation with ECQ, to suspend or terminate the elections.

These powers will only be exercised if expert health advice indicates that this necessary.

In addition, the legislation provides additional powers for these elections, including allowing additional people to be declared eligible for telephone voting and giving directions about distribution of how-to-vote cards.

Direction about distribution and display of how-to-vote cards and other election material at polling booths

Following the legislative amendments, under the Local Government Electoral Act 2011 and the Electoral Act 1992, the Commissioner has issued a Direction about distribution and display of how-to-vote cards and other election material at polling booths. This directs candidates to support social distancing and make use of alternate how-to-vote card and election material distribution methods, including static display, use of a common collection point, or electronic distribution to electors away from a polling booth.

Queensland Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young has written to the Department of Premier and Cabinet, expressing her satisfaction with the ECQ’s plan for election delivery.

Dr Young said “The risk of contracting COVID-19 at a polling location is low… people will be frequently entering and exiting the environment; spending little time in static close contact, which reduces the risk of spread of COVID-19.

“I appreciate the measures being proposed by Electoral Commission Queensland as they should address the risk of community transmission of COVID-19, while allowing important electoral processes to continue.”

Early Voting

As at 5pm, over 100,000 electors had cast their votes on the fourth day of early voting, bringing the total number of early voters to approximately 400,000.

Centres will open until 9pm tonight, and next Wednesday and Thursday, and from 9am to 5pm this Saturday, 21 March. Opening hours vary at different centres and details are published on the ECQ website.

Advice for candidates

The ECQ has written to candidates outlining the additional measures it has put in place following yesterday’s National Cabinet decision to ban non-essential indoor gatherings of more than 100 people. This advice is available on the ECQ website.

The ECQ acknowledges the efforts of candidates and their volunteers to limit contact when distributing how-to-vote cards.

Electronically assisted voting (telephone voting)

Telephone voting is available to people who are eligible under legislation, such as those not able to attend a polling place due to illness, impairment or disability.

Over 5000 people have registered for telephone voting and over 2000 people had cast their vote as at 5pm.

Queue management

The ECQ has identified 121 early voting centres that could ordinarily be expected to attract more than 100 people at one time. Additional staff will be on-site so that no more than 100 people are inside polling places at any one time, and those waiting outside have the opportunity to practice social distancing.

How-to-vote cards

Today was the last day for candidates to submit their how-to-vote cards to the ECQ for approval.

The ECQ has approved and published more than 250 how-to-vote cards on its website.

24-hour disclosure commences

With seven business days until polling day, political candidates must now disclose all electoral expenditure and gifts and loans received within 24 hours.

Postal voting

The ECQ continues to process an unprecedented number of postal vote applications. More than a third have already been posted, and the ECQ has begun to receive completed postal ballots.

Completed ballot material should be returned to the ECQ as soon as possible to assist with the counting process – the deadline for completion is 6pm on election day, but it is not necessary to wait until this time.

Voter Information Cards

Nearly two-thirds of today’s voters have presented their Voter Information Cards (hard copy or email) at polling booths. The cards make it faster and easier to mark voters off the roll and issue ballot papers, assisting with quick movement of voters through polling booths.

Early polling centres are open for late night voting tonight in a Queensland first.

The Electoral Commission of Queensland (ECQ) is initiating additional measures to manage the movement of people through polling places following the National Cabinet’s decision to ban non-essential static indoor gatherings of more than 100 people.

Queensland Electoral Commissioner, Pat Vidgen, said that the ECQ had identified the polling places with higher expected numbers of voters.

For these booths, we will put additional measures in place to make sure only 100 people are inside at any one time, and voters waiting outside have the space they need to practice social distancing.

Voters should continue to observe the guidelines outlined by the Prime Minister regarding maintaining distances of 1.5 metres and applying appropriate hygiene practices.

Staff will be on hand inside the polling booths to help move people through the voting process efficiently.

Early Voting

As at 5pm, almost 100,000 electors had cast their votes on the third day of early voting. Voting will continue until 9pm on 18 March.

In a Queensland first, almost 130 early voting centres will implement extended opening hours. Centres will open until 9pm tonight, and from 9am to 9pm tomorrow, next Wednesday and Thursday, and from 9am to 5pm this Saturday, 21 March. Opening hours vary at different centres.

Advice for candidates

The ECQ will provide further advice to candidates updating them on the additional measures and thanking them for their support in changing the way how to vote cards are distributed.

Electronically assisted voting (telephone voting)

Telephone voting is available to people who are eligible under legislation, such as those not able to attend a polling place due to illness, impairment or disability.

Over 3,500 people have registered for telephone voting and over 1,300 people had cast their vote as at 5pm.

Voter Information Cards

Nearly half of all early voters are presenting their Voter Information Cards (hard copy or email) at polling booths. The cards make it faster and easier to mark voters off the roll and issue ballot papers.

After the second day of early voting in the 2020 local government elections and Currumbin and Bundamba by-elections, almost 170,000 electors have already cast their votes.

The public response to the declaration of COVID-19 as a global pandemic, has seen a sharp increase in early voting figures at the start of the 2020 local government elections.

On 17 March, over 95,000 people voted, in addition to the almost 74,000 people who voted on the first day of early voting.

Opening hours in almost 130 early voting centres will be extended, starting from Wednesday, 18 March, with most centres staying open until 9pm on Wednesday and Thursday, and opening on Saturday, 21 March.

In addition, the ECQ is encouraging electors that are more vulnerable to COVID-19, including Queenslanders aged 60 and over, to vote early between 9am and 11am each day.  Additional ECQ staff will be available to provide support for vulnerable electors during the voting process.

The ECQ has received a record number of postal vote applications, with over 520,000 applications received and approximately 40,000 applications still be processed.

Early Voting

After the second day of early voting, approximately 170,000 early votes were received as at 5pm, with 95,000 votes cast today.

Extended opening hours will be implemented at almost 130 early voting centres across Queensland, with most centres opening from 9am to 9pm on Wednesdays and Thursdays, as well as on Saturday, 21 March.

Additionally, vulnerable people, including those aged 60 or over, are being encouraged to vote between 9am and 11am each day.

Postal Votes

At the close of applications at 7pm on 16 March 2020, approximately 540,000 postal vote applications had been received with additional emails still being processed.

Electronically assisted voting (telephone voting)

Telephone voting is available to people who are eligible under legislation, such as those not able to attend a polling place due to illness, impairment or disability.

Almost 2,000 people have registered for telephone voting as at 5pm.

Declared institutions

In order to protect the health of vulnerable people, the ECQ has today cancelled its planned visits to aged care facilities.

Returning Officers are contacting these facilities to support residents apply for postal or telephone voting where eligible.

Customer contact

The ECQ is providing support to voters by phone, email, and via its social media platforms.

Approximately 6,400 calls and 6,300 emails were received by the call centre as at 5pm.

Through social media channels Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, over 250 messages were received on 17 March.

Voter Information Cards

All Voter Information Cards (VICs) for both the local government elections and state by-elections have been printed and lodged for delivery with Australia Post.

All electronic VICs have been emailed to electors whose email addresses are listed on the electoral roll.

There are 3.2 million voters in Queensland who will be voting in the 2020 local government elections and Currumbin and Bundamba by-elections.

With the declaration of COVID-19 as a global pandemic, the Electoral Commission of Queensland (ECQ) has revised its service delivery model for the 2020 elections to ensure that voters can safely participate in the elections.

Early voting commenced as planned on 16 March, with voting figures in line with expectations. However, there has been an unprecedented level of demand for applications for postal votes in the elections, with an additional 130,000 applications received in 24 hours. This has also been reflected in large numbers of calls and emails to the ECQ’s 110 staff member call centre, which has been operating at capacity.

The ECQ also released two fact sheets today regarding the impact of COVID-19 and additional protection measures being implemented for the elections. These fact sheets are available on the ECQ website.

Early Voting

Approximately 130 early voting centres opened around the state for the first day of early voting. On the first day of early voting, approximately 73,900 early votes were received as at 5pm.

Arrangements to extend the opening hours of early voting centres are being implemented based on availability at individual centres.

Postal Votes

Approximately 487,000 postal vote applications had been received as at 5pm, with applications due to close at 7pm.

Additional options were provided to voters to ensure they could lodge a postal vote application by email prior to the deadline.

Additional design and print services have been secured to ensure sufficient ballot papers would be available to meet increased demand.

Electronically assisted voting (telephone voting)

Telephone voting is available to people who are eligible under legislation, such as those not able to attend a polling place due to illness, impairment or disability.

162 applications for telephone voting had been received and 68 votes had been lodged as at 5pm.

Declared institutions

A number of residential care homes and hospitals are “declared institutions”. Election officials visit

these institutions to allow residents to vote.

In order to protect the health of vulnerable people, the ECQ has today cancelled its planned visits to nursing homes.

The ECQ has instructed its Returning Officers to contact each declared institution in their electorates and support its residents in applying for postal or telephone voting.

Customer contact

The ECQ is providing support to voters by phone, email, and via its social media platforms. Approximately 6,800 calls and 1,900 emails were received by the call centre as at 5pm.

Through social media channels Facebook and Twitter, over 700 messages were handled over the weekend of 14-15 March, with approximately 8,600 individual engagements (likes, comments and shares).

Voter Information Cards

All Voter Information Cards (VICs) for both the local elections and state by-elections have been printed and lodged for delivery with Australia Post.

All electronic VICs will be emailed by 7pm this evening.