As the March 23 NSW election fast approaches three local candidates have put their hat in the ring for the seat of Albury.
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This week environmental health officer Lauriston Muirhead confirmed he will be joining as the Labor candidate, up against Liberal’s Justin Clancy and the Greens’ Dean Moss, who are all vying for the seat currently occupied by Greg Aplin who has announced his parliamentary retirement. An independent has not yet come forward as a candidate for the seat of Albury. It is unlikely Albury Mayor Kevin Mack will contest the state election and is more likely to contest the federal seat of Farrer. Candidates have until 12pm on March 6 to nominate.
Planning and executing the election this year is a major logistics exercise and involves thousands of workers and venues across 93 NSW state election districts.
NSW Electoral Commissioner John Schmidt said planning for a state election begins at least 18 months prior to the event, with detailed strategies and systematic procedures helping to ensure the biggest event in the state is delivered in a professional and seamless manner.
“Helping deliver democracy through election events requires significant coordination and engineering,” he said.
“There are nearly 5.3 million voters, more than 2,500 individual venues, around one thousand candidates and more than 20,000 workers involved.
“Twenty-eight million ballot papers will be printed and more than 2,200 voting centres and 200 early voting centres will be set up. Election staff will visit nearly 600 declared facilities such as nursing homes, aged care facilities and hospitals before election day to allow residents to vote in person on site.
“Wherever possible, we source materials locally, particularly cardboard products and stationery as well as printed forms. Wherever possible, we re-use and re-cycle election materials.
“We are currently delivering furniture, IT equipment and a broad range of voting materials to 93 election managers’ offices around the state. Each electoral district will have between 17 to 50 voting centres that are then set up from the election managers’ offices.”
Currently being delivered to election managers’ offices:
• 3999 furniture items, including 279 desks, 1,395 chairs and 2,325 trestle tables.
• 622 pallets.
• 2,500 computers.
• 987,000 forms and other materials including stationery kits and first aid kits.
• 837 cardboard tables.
• 93 kettles.
• 82,995 pens with string.
• 930 canvas ballot boxes.
• 1,200 new plastic ballot boxes.
• 15,843 cardboard ballot boxes.
• 46,400 new cardboard items including signs, voting screens and recycle bins.
• 80,850 seals to secure ballot boxes and other electoral material.
• 335,340 bull dog clips.
“We have already set up our major Sydney call centre for elector enquiries,” Mr Schmidt said. “It will be staffed by up to 100 customer service officers by election day. Officers are expected to respond to about 170,000 phone calls over the next nine weeks.
“In late February, we equip our major count centres in Rosehill and Redfern. They will receive ballot papers from around the state via direct couriers and the full count is expected to be completed by April 12.
“Decommissioning the election venues is also a significant event and takes up to two weeks to complete.”
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