Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Now we know that the countdown is on until actual
polling day, but of course the polls open, the early
voting centers opening today. And joining me on the line
to talk more about it is the Northern Territories Electoral
Commissioner Kirsten Kelly. Good morning to you, Commissioner.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
Good morning Katie.
Speaker 1 (00:17):
Now that early voting opening today, how's it looked so
far this morning?
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Yeah? Absolutely, early voting started today. So we've had an
excessive a thousand votes already cast through the early voting
centers across the Northern Territory so far this morning. So
lots of locations available for territories to go and vote
if he's over the next two weeks for early voting.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
So one thousand already turning out to vote. How does
that compare to previous elections.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
I don't have a comparison for the previous elections, but
it's a good start for the start of early voting.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
Yeah, oh, look, I agree. I think it's good to
get out there and vote. Make sure that you exercise
that democratic right. Kirsten tell us in terms of who's
eligible to vote early, can anybody go in and vote early?
Speaker 2 (01:04):
Yeah, it's a really good point. Katie. Anyone can vote early.
There is no eligibility requirement in the Northern Territory to
caston early vote, so certainly encouraging people to take advantage
of one of the conveniently located early voting centers across
the territory.
Speaker 1 (01:20):
Now, I know there has been some concerns raised this morning,
even with the Chief Finister on the show earlier this
morning about a lack of boothe in both Drysdale, and
then I also had another message coming through saying bees
Creek as well.
Speaker 2 (01:35):
So there are early voting centers in Casarina, so in
Gateway Shopping Center, Palmerston Shopping Center called Alinga Central, and
then there's the election day voting centers as well, which
will be open Berry Spring Shopping Village. We'll have an
early voting center starting from this Saturday from eight till three,
and then we'll have a week of early voting next
week in the lead up to election dates.
Speaker 1 (01:57):
Is it correct though that there's not going to be
somewhere for people to vote in Drysdale.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
So there are so Gateway Shopping Center, so Yarrawonga which
is Gateway Shopping Center, is the center available for Drysdale members.
So anyone can vote at any voting center. Yeah, so
you are shopping in Palmerston, if you are shopping at Gateway,
then you can actually cast your vote there, regardless of
what division you're in, like Drivedale there and then on
election day there will be a Sacred Heart Primary School
(02:27):
or will be available for people within that area. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
The criticism I suppose is the criticism I suppose is
that some of those locations where people have previously been
able to go and vote are no longer going to
be operational.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
So there has been some changes. For example, previously reviews Bakewell,
but that's been deemed not suitable. So we make adjustments
based on a number of things about accessibility to voters,
just making sure that people can access them, and suitability
of voting center. So that information is all available now
on our website YEP where the actual voting centers are,
(03:03):
and if people aren't quite sure, they can give us
a call through our service center, but they can also
go on the website. They can put in their residential
address on the find my closest Voting center location and
it'll list all of the voting centers which are closest
to them.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
Yeah, and look, if there are any seniors listening this
morning who aren't one hundred percent sure if their usual
voting center is going to be operational or not. If
you can't find it, if you're not technically savvy, you
can always give us a call here at the radio
station and we can try and help you. Or I'm
sure you can also get in contact with the Northern
Territory Electoral Commission over the phone to work out exactly
where you can vote.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
Absolutely, we have a service center set up, and there's
certainly a team of people that can tell If people
don't want to go onto the computer, they can certainly
ring the one eight hundred number, and that's one eight
hundred sixty nine eight six eighty three or one eight
hundred by vote and get that information. And for anyone
who has accessibilities.
Speaker 1 (03:56):
We just seem to have somehow lost the loss of the commissioner.
I'm too sure what's happened there. Let's try that once more.
Are you their commissioner? I can hear, sorry you cut
out for some reason, then, so can please continue on?
I apologize for that.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
No, that's okay. So just reminding people that they can
call our service center, which is one eight hundred sixty
nine eight six eight three or one eight hundred my vote,
and we can let you know where your closest voting
center is if you don't want to go online and
or aren't able to. But for people who may need
assistance with voting, there's also the option if they do
attend a voting center they can be assisted to vote
(04:32):
that there will be disabled parking available. But if they
aren't able to leave their car voting center, stuff, can
leave the voting center and issue there and a vote
in their car if they're unable to physically attend.
Speaker 1 (04:42):
Oh that's really that's good.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
Not for them, Yeah, that's really good to hear.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
Hey, how in terms of the early voting in remote communities,
how does that work?
Speaker 2 (04:52):
Yeah, so that we've got six teams that have left
over the weekend to start that process. So they're out
issuing votes today in the community. So again, someone from
a community and go onto the website to see where
the teams are. We provide posters in community and we
send in advanced text messages Facebook communications to community pages
to let teams know. And we've after doing our nineteen
(05:14):
week engagement program, we stay in contact with people that
we've engaged with and let them know when the teams
are coming and if there's any changes that will be
communicated through. So the team six teams out at the moment, Bullman,
we Mole, bell Ewen, mangan Im Pampa and the work
camp out in Mulanboy. So the teams are out and about.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
Now, how many people are you expecting or what percentage
of people are you expecting are going to vote before
election day?
Speaker 2 (05:43):
So in previous years the early when the eligibility to
early vote was removed, we certainly saw an increase in
early voting. And then at the last election around COVID
there was certainly an increase in take ups. So since
then some of the by elections it's come back a
little bit more so not as many and a little
bit more on election day, but we're certainly encouraging people
(06:03):
to come and vote. So there is a lot of
interest in people like early voting, So encourage people to
early vote.
Speaker 1 (06:10):
Yeah, I know before the last Northern Territory election we
anticipated about sixty percent I believe it was at the
time we're going to vote early. Do we have any
figures like that this time round?
Speaker 2 (06:20):
So not at the moment, but we'd certainly be looking
around that so been in other by elections, it's been
a little bit more closer to our fifty fiftieth, moving
back to where it was a little bit more of
a sixty to forty with early voting election day. But yeah,
we'll wait and see that. There's certainly lots of voting
centers available in shopping centers across the Northern Territory to
all our convenience voting for people to cast their votes early.
Speaker 1 (06:43):
Yeah, well, and it sounds like plenty of people already
out there this morning. If there's more than a thousand,
you know, by sort of quarter past ten, tell me
in terms of the deadline for anybody wanting to postal vote,
has that now passed?
Speaker 2 (06:57):
So no, that hasn't passed. The deadline for postal vote
dispatches the twenty second of August, and it's a couple
of days earlier for that for international. But I would
certainly encourage anyone who is not able to attend a
voting center to please apply for a postal vote now,
just to allow the posts to get to them and
for them to complete it before sixty on an election day,
(07:18):
which is a requirement and get that back to us
so we can include that in the account. So yesterday
over six one hundred postal votes have been dispatched to people,
So anyone who has applied to start receiving them in
the next few days.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
Yeah, right now, in terms of we know now all
the candidates have been locked in, we know where they're
going to be sitting on the ballot papers. Is there
somewhere on the Northern Territory Electoral Commission website where people
are able to go and view all those candidates? I know,
we get us this question a lot, and we certainly
try our best to make sure that everybody in every
electorate knows who is who's put their hand up? But
(07:54):
is there a bit of a list on the Electoral
Commission website?
Speaker 2 (07:57):
So there is a list of candidates on the NTS
the Electoral Commission website under the electoral Participants candidates had YEP.
So what that does is provide an image of the
candidate as well as their details if they've provided permission
to have that made publicly available, so that may include
a Facebook link or a website link. That doesn't always,
so there's certainly that opportunity to go through there where
(08:20):
a candidate has agreed to have that available through the website.
Speaker 1 (08:24):
Commissioner, anything else we should be aware of this morning.
You know that you are keen to get out there
to our voters.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
No, just more encouraging people, just letting. Early voting has
started that from eight to five pm on weekdays. There'll
also be early voting from eight to three on Saturday,
and then next week is another week of early voting.
Darwin City dal and Entertainment Center is a location eaten
the old slipout site, Casarina Shopping Center in the quarter,
(08:51):
the old coffee club gateway in the pavilion opposite Baskin Robin's,
Palmerston Shopping Center, the old pharmacy site, cool linga Central
behind Muff and Brakes, and the cap and Central shopping
Center the old Lackman Store are all available to receive
your votes today if you're in that area and you.
Speaker 1 (09:06):
Wish to vote well, Kirsten, you and I have been
counting down the days. You guys have had that counter
up on the Northern Territory Electoral Commission website for I
don't even know how long, but gee, it's been helpful
to me. And now it's just sitting at eleven days,
twenty one hours and thirty two minutes. We're at the
end of the marathon.
Speaker 2 (09:24):
We certainly are so a little bit more to go,
but yeah, going well, please nice and early voting starts
and people start going to voting Senate, so it is well.
Speaker 1 (09:32):
Look, I'm sure you and I'll probably talk before the election.
Thank you so very much for your time this morning.
I know that you are incredibly busy at the moment.
Speaker 2 (09:41):
Anytime, I'm happy to chat anytime. Thanks Katie, thank you
very much, appreciate it.
Now we know that the countdown is on until actual
polling day, but of course the polls open, the early
voting centers opening today. And joining me on the line
to talk more about it is the Northern Territories Electoral
Commissioner Kirsten Kelly. Good morning to you, Commissioner.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
Good morning Katie.
Speaker 1 (00:17):
Now that early voting opening today, how's it looked so
far this morning?
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Yeah? Absolutely, early voting started today. So we've had an
excessive a thousand votes already cast through the early voting
centers across the Northern Territory so far this morning. So
lots of locations available for territories to go and vote
if he's over the next two weeks for early voting.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
So one thousand already turning out to vote. How does
that compare to previous elections.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
I don't have a comparison for the previous elections, but
it's a good start for the start of early voting.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
Yeah, oh, look, I agree. I think it's good to
get out there and vote. Make sure that you exercise
that democratic right. Kirsten tell us in terms of who's
eligible to vote early, can anybody go in and vote early?
Speaker 2 (01:04):
Yeah, it's a really good point. Katie. Anyone can vote early.
There is no eligibility requirement in the Northern Territory to
caston early vote, so certainly encouraging people to take advantage
of one of the conveniently located early voting centers across
the territory.
Speaker 1 (01:20):
Now, I know there has been some concerns raised this morning,
even with the Chief Finister on the show earlier this
morning about a lack of boothe in both Drysdale, and
then I also had another message coming through saying bees
Creek as well.
Speaker 2 (01:35):
So there are early voting centers in Casarina, so in
Gateway Shopping Center, Palmerston Shopping Center called Alinga Central, and
then there's the election day voting centers as well, which
will be open Berry Spring Shopping Village. We'll have an
early voting center starting from this Saturday from eight till three,
and then we'll have a week of early voting next
week in the lead up to election dates.
Speaker 1 (01:57):
Is it correct though that there's not going to be
somewhere for people to vote in Drysdale.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
So there are so Gateway Shopping Center, so Yarrawonga which
is Gateway Shopping Center, is the center available for Drysdale members.
So anyone can vote at any voting center. Yeah, so
you are shopping in Palmerston, if you are shopping at Gateway,
then you can actually cast your vote there, regardless of
what division you're in, like Drivedale there and then on
election day there will be a Sacred Heart Primary School
(02:27):
or will be available for people within that area. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
The criticism I suppose is the criticism I suppose is
that some of those locations where people have previously been
able to go and vote are no longer going to
be operational.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
So there has been some changes. For example, previously reviews Bakewell,
but that's been deemed not suitable. So we make adjustments
based on a number of things about accessibility to voters,
just making sure that people can access them, and suitability
of voting center. So that information is all available now
on our website YEP where the actual voting centers are,
(03:03):
and if people aren't quite sure, they can give us
a call through our service center, but they can also
go on the website. They can put in their residential
address on the find my closest Voting center location and
it'll list all of the voting centers which are closest
to them.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
Yeah, and look, if there are any seniors listening this
morning who aren't one hundred percent sure if their usual
voting center is going to be operational or not. If
you can't find it, if you're not technically savvy, you
can always give us a call here at the radio
station and we can try and help you. Or I'm
sure you can also get in contact with the Northern
Territory Electoral Commission over the phone to work out exactly
where you can vote.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
Absolutely, we have a service center set up, and there's
certainly a team of people that can tell If people
don't want to go onto the computer, they can certainly
ring the one eight hundred number, and that's one eight
hundred sixty nine eight six eighty three or one eight
hundred by vote and get that information. And for anyone
who has accessibilities.
Speaker 1 (03:56):
We just seem to have somehow lost the loss of the commissioner.
I'm too sure what's happened there. Let's try that once more.
Are you their commissioner? I can hear, sorry you cut
out for some reason, then, so can please continue on?
I apologize for that.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
No, that's okay. So just reminding people that they can
call our service center, which is one eight hundred sixty
nine eight six eight three or one eight hundred my vote,
and we can let you know where your closest voting
center is if you don't want to go online and
or aren't able to. But for people who may need
assistance with voting, there's also the option if they do
attend a voting center they can be assisted to vote
(04:32):
that there will be disabled parking available. But if they
aren't able to leave their car voting center, stuff, can
leave the voting center and issue there and a vote
in their car if they're unable to physically attend.
Speaker 1 (04:42):
Oh that's really that's good.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
Not for them, Yeah, that's really good to hear.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
Hey, how in terms of the early voting in remote communities,
how does that work?
Speaker 2 (04:52):
Yeah, so that we've got six teams that have left
over the weekend to start that process. So they're out
issuing votes today in the community. So again, someone from
a community and go onto the website to see where
the teams are. We provide posters in community and we
send in advanced text messages Facebook communications to community pages
to let teams know. And we've after doing our nineteen
(05:14):
week engagement program, we stay in contact with people that
we've engaged with and let them know when the teams
are coming and if there's any changes that will be
communicated through. So the team six teams out at the moment, Bullman,
we Mole, bell Ewen, mangan Im Pampa and the work
camp out in Mulanboy. So the teams are out and about.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
Now, how many people are you expecting or what percentage
of people are you expecting are going to vote before
election day?
Speaker 2 (05:43):
So in previous years the early when the eligibility to
early vote was removed, we certainly saw an increase in
early voting. And then at the last election around COVID
there was certainly an increase in take ups. So since
then some of the by elections it's come back a
little bit more so not as many and a little
bit more on election day, but we're certainly encouraging people
(06:03):
to come and vote. So there is a lot of
interest in people like early voting, So encourage people to
early vote.
Speaker 1 (06:10):
Yeah, I know before the last Northern Territory election we
anticipated about sixty percent I believe it was at the
time we're going to vote early. Do we have any
figures like that this time round?
Speaker 2 (06:20):
So not at the moment, but we'd certainly be looking
around that so been in other by elections, it's been
a little bit more closer to our fifty fiftieth, moving
back to where it was a little bit more of
a sixty to forty with early voting election day. But yeah,
we'll wait and see that. There's certainly lots of voting
centers available in shopping centers across the Northern Territory to
all our convenience voting for people to cast their votes early.
Speaker 1 (06:43):
Yeah, well, and it sounds like plenty of people already
out there this morning. If there's more than a thousand,
you know, by sort of quarter past ten, tell me
in terms of the deadline for anybody wanting to postal vote,
has that now passed?
Speaker 2 (06:57):
So no, that hasn't passed. The deadline for postal vote
dispatches the twenty second of August, and it's a couple
of days earlier for that for international. But I would
certainly encourage anyone who is not able to attend a
voting center to please apply for a postal vote now,
just to allow the posts to get to them and
for them to complete it before sixty on an election day,
(07:18):
which is a requirement and get that back to us
so we can include that in the account. So yesterday
over six one hundred postal votes have been dispatched to people,
So anyone who has applied to start receiving them in
the next few days.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
Yeah, right now, in terms of we know now all
the candidates have been locked in, we know where they're
going to be sitting on the ballot papers. Is there
somewhere on the Northern Territory Electoral Commission website where people
are able to go and view all those candidates? I know,
we get us this question a lot, and we certainly
try our best to make sure that everybody in every
electorate knows who is who's put their hand up? But
(07:54):
is there a bit of a list on the Electoral
Commission website?
Speaker 2 (07:57):
So there is a list of candidates on the NTS
the Electoral Commission website under the electoral Participants candidates had YEP.
So what that does is provide an image of the
candidate as well as their details if they've provided permission
to have that made publicly available, so that may include
a Facebook link or a website link. That doesn't always,
so there's certainly that opportunity to go through there where
(08:20):
a candidate has agreed to have that available through the website.
Speaker 1 (08:24):
Commissioner, anything else we should be aware of this morning.
You know that you are keen to get out there
to our voters.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
No, just more encouraging people, just letting. Early voting has
started that from eight to five pm on weekdays. There'll
also be early voting from eight to three on Saturday,
and then next week is another week of early voting.
Darwin City dal and Entertainment Center is a location eaten
the old slipout site, Casarina Shopping Center in the quarter,
(08:51):
the old coffee club gateway in the pavilion opposite Baskin Robin's,
Palmerston Shopping Center, the old pharmacy site, cool linga Central
behind Muff and Brakes, and the cap and Central shopping
Center the old Lackman Store are all available to receive
your votes today if you're in that area and you.
Speaker 1 (09:06):
Wish to vote well, Kirsten, you and I have been
counting down the days. You guys have had that counter
up on the Northern Territory Electoral Commission website for I
don't even know how long, but gee, it's been helpful
to me. And now it's just sitting at eleven days,
twenty one hours and thirty two minutes. We're at the
end of the marathon.
Speaker 2 (09:24):
We certainly are so a little bit more to go,
but yeah, going well, please nice and early voting starts
and people start going to voting Senate, so it is well.
Speaker 1 (09:32):
Look, I'm sure you and I'll probably talk before the election.
Thank you so very much for your time this morning.
I know that you are incredibly busy at the moment.
Speaker 2 (09:41):
Anytime, I'm happy to chat anytime. Thanks Katie, thank you
very much, appreciate it.
Popular Podcasts
1. Stuff You Missed in History Class
Join Holly and Tracy as they bring you the greatest and strangest Stuff You Missed In History Class in this podcast by iHeartRadio.
2. Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations.
3. Crime Junkie
If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people.