General News
8 July, 2021
Early voting starts Monday
CASSOWARY Coast Regional Council’s 3,400 Division 6 electors will choose a new councillor in the coming week with early voting starting on Monday July 12 through to Friday July 16 at Innisfail Shire Hall at 70 Rankin Street.
Early voting times are 9am to 5pm Monday to Thursday, and 9am to 6pm on Friday. Election day voting is at Innisfail East State School and Mourilyan State School and between 8am and 6pm on Saturday July 17.
Seven candidates are vying for the Division 6 councillor position. They are Antonino Ucchino, John Hutchinson, Renee McLeod, Paul Toogood, Harry Tenni, Barry Anderson, and Wayne Kimberly.
The voting system for a divided council as determined in the Local Government Electoral Act is optional preferential. To make your vote count, number one, some or all the boxes on your ballot paper in order of preference.
COVID-safe measures will be in place at polling booths. Electors are encouraged to plan the way they’ll vote, know where and when they’ll vote, stay 1.5 metres apart, use hand sanitiser, and bring their own pen or pencil if they prefer.
Electors are also encouraged to bring their Voter Information Card (VIC) to the polling booth to help make roll mark-off quicker and easier.
The Check In Qld app will also be in use at polling booths. This is the same app being used across Queensland to register visits to shops, cafes, and restaurants. If electors don’t have the app on their phone, election staff will be available to help check them in.
Ballot materials for postal voters have been progressively dispatched from the date of the close of nominations and the printing of ballot papers on June 28.
Postal voters are encouraged to vote as soon as they receive their ballot materials, then sign, witness, and return their ballot paper in the Reply-Paid envelope.
All voting must take place before the close of poll at 6pm on election day and the deadline for the return of postal votes to the ECQ is Tuesday July 27.
Voting is compulsory. For all election information go to ecq.qld.gov.au.
