Toowoomba Regional Council by-election goes postal ...
Excerpt from the Chronicle:
Council election will be postal
27 October 2008
Toowoomba Regional Council voters won't have to line-up at polling booths on December 6 to elect a new councillor - all voting will be by post.
This is the recommendation to the council by Minister for Local Government Warren Pitt.
Council's chief executive officer and by-election returning officer Philip Spencer yesterday said council was waiting on the action to be declared law by the government.
“The process (of postal voting) is more efficient.
“It is very tightly controlled and will probably be the method used by local governments at future elections,” Mr Spencer said.
Mr Spencer said the process was cheaper as the council did not have to employ people on the day of the by-election.
He said costs with postal votes included an advertising campaign and postal expenses.
Votes will have to be posted by 6pm Saturday, December 6.
“We will start counting the votes on the Saturday night.
“If it is very close we will have to wait another 10 days before we can call the poll.
“The results can usually be up very quickly,” Mr Spencer said.
People in the shire can expect to receive their documentation after November 14.
If anyone does not receive their voting kit by November 21, they should call the assistant returning officer on 4688 6371.
The council is currently putting together information which explains how to cast a postal vote.
So far the nominees to replace Cr Ian Orford who died earlier this month include former Jondaryan Shire Council chief executive officer Noel Cass and former Toowoomba City councillors Graham Barron, Michele Alroe and Sue Englart.
See - By-election goes postal.
It will be a different form of campaign.
No voting booths. No cajolling voter support on election day.
Campaigns will be based around ads in the Chronicle, junk mail ads in letterboxes and the ubiquitous signs cluttering the streets.
So maybe not so different ...
posted by Concerned Ratepayer at 7:53 AM
6 Comments:
This field of nominees are as weak as the candidates for the Americian election.
Surely we have a person of repute who is willing to take on this job and stand up to the Phil Spencers of this world.
The postal vote is a good idea as the family can sit around the table and consider their choice with out the confusion of all of thoes papers being thrust into ones hand at the booths or some-one telling you a lot of rubbish.
8:04 AM, October 28, 2008
Hmm, nice salary but you have to sit around a table with a bunch of nohopers who are content just to sit back and do what Bligh tells them to do. Anything sensible you proposed would be shot down by the other councillors. And 4 years of listening to Spencer and Flanagan drone on. It'd have to be for the money because any sensible person would say no way.
10:24 AM, October 28, 2008
One's unemployed, one took early retirement, one's driving a bus and one has to run to preserve her husband's sanity.
Some choice!
10:36 AM, October 28, 2008
At least one won't have to put up with people campaigning for one ex councillor telling you not to vote for a candidate, as what happened at the last election by telling people not to vote for one person.
It was great that certain ex female councillor didn't get in!!
12:59 PM, October 28, 2008
Even with Jones in the race -we will still have no-one to vote for!
They are all repugnant to us.
1:54 PM, October 28, 2008
Wonder if he'll use Di's old campaign manager again. Worked so well last time.
2:12 PM, October 28, 2008
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