Perth Voice Interactive

THE ballots are merely trickling in at Vincent with a smidgen over 23 per cent of people having voted as of Wednesday October 14.

In a mayoral election the turnout rate usually hovers between 30 and 35 per cent but it’s unlikely to get that high come polling night, since most people post their ballots early.

In neighbouring Perth the ballot boxes are also feeling light, despite lord mayor Lisa Scaffidi spending plenty of time in the media over her travel declarations.

It’s running about five per cent behind previous years’ turnouts which saw up to 48 per cent cast a vote.

Stirling’s also struggling to meet last year’s turnout, with a bit under 25 per cent bothering to tick boxes and stick ballots back in the post.

Bayswater’s numbers are doing alright compared to the last election, hovering in the mid-20s (admittedly not a high bar). Maylands has had the most voter activity, with the south ward hotly contested between incumbent Sylvan Albert and challenger Catherine Ehrhardt.

Vincent mayor John Carey, disappointed with the low turnout, has been trying to drum up voters on Facebook this week.

He says elections shouldn’t be held during school holidays as people are away and when they get back often just toss all their accumulated junk mail in the bin — including posted-out ballot papers.

“We want people to vote, it’s critical for democracy,” he says.

Late ballots

Despite Vincent paying the WA electoral commission an optional fast-post fee, the ballots once again arrived late and Mr Carey says that plays a part in dampening voter participation.

Deputy electoral commissioner Chris Avent says changing the election period requires a change of state law. The WAEC must adhere to the legislated third Saturday in October as polling day. He says sending 1.4 million election packages can take time and the WAEC prioritises regional areas as they need longer to get their ballots back in time.

Mr Carey says candidates must cop some of the blame, saying many aren’t doing enough to personally engage.

“The idea that you just slap some posters up and that’s it, I find incredibly disrespectful to voters,” the enthusiastic door-knocker says.

“What you find is if more candidates are out campaigning and doorknocking then more people vote because you’ve got more engagement in the community.”

Debbie Saunders, who’s running against Mr Carey, told the Voice early in the piece she didn’t plan to doorknock because she didn’t want to bother folk at home.

But Mr Carey says people never seem annoyed when he drops by. “I doorknock outside elections, I do a street a week anyway as mayor… rarely do I have anyone complain when I ask what would they like done in local government. Rarely do you get a complaint, people do want to tell you their views.”

By the time the Voice is out it’ll be too late to post in your ballot so the only way to vote now is to show up on election day between 8am and 6pm (and if the dog ate your ballot you can be issued a new one).

by DAVID BELL