There was a mood of inevitability among voters in Gunnedah who filed through the door to cast their ballot at Saturday’s federal election.

Almost 1500 registered their vote at Gunnedah PCYC – the largest polling booth in the shire.

The same venue hosted nearly 5000 voters during early voting – up about 500 on the previous election.

Many voters last Saturday, however, were motivated to get the vote out of the way and move on with their weekend.

Asked what their priorities were for the region and the electorate, voters struggled to provide an answer.

“I’m just here to vote,” was often the reply.

Some were a little more specific on their request for the elected representative.

“Just honesty,” one Gunnedah voter said of their election priority.

“Don’t promise what you can’t deliver.”

Others less interested in the political process thought the compulsory voting requirement should be abandoned altogether.

“You shouldn’t have to vote if you don’t know enough about it,” they said.

Not surprisingly, the Gunnedah polling centre’s informal vote (13 per cent) on election day was slightly higher than the electorate-wide, informal average (10 per cent).

Among those handing out ‘how to vote’ leaflets in the final hours of Saturday’s election was Senate candidate from Gunnedah, Juliana McArthur.

The Nationals’ NSW Senate contender described some of the Nationals’ now policies and was firm in the belief the majority of candidates were nominating for the right reasons.

“People genuinely care about country’s future and our standard of living,” she said.

Also in attendance was Family First candidate Maurice Davey who was standing for the House of Representatives in the Parkes electorate.

Mr Davey lives in the central west town of Parkes but chose Gunnedah – the far northern edge of the electorate – for his final pitch to voters.

The fourth-generation farmer, grandfather of nine and devoted Christian, held particular concern about the future of independent schools in Australia.

“Let kids be kids,” he said.

Nationals’ NSW Senate candidate from Gunnedah, Juliana McArthur, said most candidates were driven by a desire for a better Australia.

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