Well done to all the candidates who put up their hand in the 2022 Federal Election.
With a large number of first preference votes counted, Hume, Macarthur and Werriwa have been retained by the incumbents.
Liberal Angus Taylor has been returned as MP for Hume; Labor’s Dr Mike Freelander has also been returned in Macarthur and Labor’s Anne Stanley in Werriwa.
With hours before voting closes for the 2022 Federal Election, many of the candidates have been out and about and supporters helping out hand at a number of polling places.
The incumbents and candidates also casted their votes at different polling sites within their respective electorates.
Unfortunately, there are a few places not serving the ‘democracy sausage’. In some places queues are long, but moving steadily under ominous clouds.
For Hume independent, Penny Ackery, who is not well, she chose to limit her interactions, but has wished her volunteers well at the booths and will be zooming in at the after event. She will be voting via phone today. Campaign manager Matt Murfitt and son Jack Steele were visiting volunteers.
Labor’s Greg Baines with his wife Jen voted at Buxton and was later spotted at one of the booths in Wollondilly visiting volunteers.
Hume Liberal incumbent, Angus Taylor voted at Goulburn-Mulwaree High School.
Macarthur Labor incumbent, Mike Freelander also put in his vote at Tharawal Aboriginal Health Service Airds.
At the end of pre-polling on May 20. The number of votes cast were as follows.
Hume electorate there were 42.5 votes cast in early voting centre – 31.3 per cent pre-poll and 11.2 per cent postal.
Macarthur – 39.5 per cent, 29.1 per cent pre-poll and 10.5 per cent postal votes
Werriwa – 37.1 per cent, 25.8 pre-poll and 11.3 per cent postal.
Pre-poll votes is a total of votes taken by each division, but not necessarily for the division.
The Australian Electoral Commissioner, Tom Rogers, has announced that anyone with Covid-19 unable to get to a polling booth tomorrow will be able to vote via telephone.
“From 6pm last Friday evening (May13) will be able to access telephone voting,” said Mr Rogers who was talking on RN Breakfast this morning.
The commissioner urged people to visit the AEC website for details.
He urged the people who registered on Thursday, May 19 to cast their vote today and not leave until tomorrow.
“The individuals who already registered and qualified to jump on today and don’t leave it until tomorrow.
“It‘s an emergency provision…helps us out by doing it today.”
Mr Rogers said anyone who had covid before last Friday will be able to vote in person.
With one day to go until Australians go to the polls, more than 4.6 million people have already attended early voting centres, which is on track to easily eclipse the 2019 total of 4.7 million and set a new record.