Gunnedah’s role in council elections across region

An unremarkable pavilion in the middle of the Gunnedah Showground is set to play host to the future of not one but three local government shires for the next four years.

Gunnedah’s Griffith Pavilion is serving as the staging area for Tamworth, Liverpool Plains and Gunnedah local government elections.

The venue will host all pre and post election activities for the three council shires including training for election managers, distribution of election stationery, ballot boxes, electoral rolls as well as ballot paper collating and counting.

Last week the Gunnedah community facility also played host to three ballot paper draws for each council.

NSW Electoral Commission executive director elections, Andrea Summerell, said it is common for rural and regional councils to combine and use one central point as the election staging area.

Ms Summerell said this creates “efficiencies and cost savings” for councils which share the expenses for running local government elections.

It also means the outcome for all three elections will be decided at Gunnedah as scrutineers tally the votes post-election.

“All the counting for the shires will happen at the Gunnedah site,” Ms Summerell said.

Each council was contacted for submissions about facilities in their shire that could host management of three elections and Gunnedah was deemed “most appropriate”.

Once polls close on election day (September 14), all ballot papers for Tamworth, Liverpool Plains and Gunnedah shires will be returned to the returning officer at Griffith Pavilion.

Here the votes will be checked and rechecked.

Ms Summerell said there is even security employed to protect the ballot papers.

She urged voters unsure about their enrolment status, especially those located on the boundary of local government areas, to check for free using the online ‘address look up’ tool. Unlike state elections, people voting in local government (council) elections are unable to vote in another jurisdiction – they must vote in the shire where they are enrolled to vote and voting is compulsory.

The ballot draw

The running order for the Gunnedah shire ballot paper has been finalised and the list of councillor candidates, confirmed.

A public draw was held at the Griffith Pavillion last Thursday for the ballot draw for all three local government elections – Tamworth, Liverpool Plains and Gunnedah.

The name of each of the 11 Gunnedah candidates was drawn randomly from a box in front of a small crowd.

First name to be drawn will appear at the top of the ballot paper, followed the remaining candidates in sequential order as drawn.

Names of the Gunnedah candidates as they will appear on the ballot paper are Colleen Fuller, Cameron Moore, Linda Newell, Ann Luke, Juliana McArthur, Kate McGrath, Mitchum Neave, Rob Hooke, Greg Petersen, Robert Hoddle and Tammey McAllan.

Pre poll opens Saturday, September 7 at Gunnedah’s Go Co building.