More and more voters are choosing to cash in their electoral chips early in Macquarie this time around.
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By the time voters go to the polls on Saturday July 2, political pundits are predicting that, such is the popularity of pre-polling, a whopping one in three, perhaps even as many as one in two constituents, could have already cast their vote.
In the first week alone of pre-polling in Macquarie at the booths in Katoomba, Springwood and Richmond, some 3209 residents had chosen to pre-poll, compared to 1090 in the same first four days of pre-polling in the 2013 Federal Election.
A pre-poll was opened in Katoomba a week earlier this time around to cater for the expected increase in demand. Pre-poll is meant to be done only by voters who can't get to a polling booth on election day. This year the election falls during the NSW school holidays.
The Australian Electoral Commission said there has been a steady rise in pre-polling. In 2010, 18 per cent of the nation voted early and by 2013 that has risen to 27 per cent.
AEC divisional returning officer Debbie Bush defended the ease of pre-polling.
“It’s a growing trend. We have to make sure everyone has an opportunity to vote,” Ms Bush said.
Scrutineers are seeing a steady stream of voters daily. Blue Mountains City Council’s Mick Fell, a Labor councillor from Ward Three, said the pre-polls “ended up the largest booth by count”.
But former federal member, Alasdair Webster, who is manning the pre-polling booth at Springwood for the Coalition, said he was disappointed by the ease of early voting because of busy lifestyles.
“From my day there's vastly more [voting early],” he said. “It was very hard to pre-poll then. It was almost non-existent. The booths certainly weren’t open for three weeks. I think it’s imperative that people vote on one day – it’s not strict enough, but that’s how it is and we have to be out and about manning the booths.”
One couple with legitimate grounds to early voting were Hazelbrook's Dave and Kathy Morrison, who are now making their way to Mungo National Park in south-western NSW and will be away for the election.
“We don’t have a clue where we are going to be,” Mrs Morrison, who cited Medicare and health as her concerns, told the Gazette.
Mr Webster, who has been doing his own scrutineering outside the Springwood booth, said early indications showed favourable numbers for the incumbent Louise Markus.