Regional SA town left without a polling place on election day
Voters in one far north town claim they may have to travel hundreds of kilometres to vote in Saturday’s state election after a polling place was removed “without adequate public notice or consultation”.
Voters in Coober Pedy have written to the Electoral Commission of South Australia (ECSA) demanding answers as to why a polling place in the town was “removed or replaced without adequate public notice or consultation”.
The Coober Pedy Community Alliance claims some residents will have to travel about 480 kilometres to the nearest polling location on Saturday at Andamooka – a five hour journey each way.
“This is neither reasonable nor accessible for many members of the community,” the group said in the letter, seen by InDaily.
Voters only recently became aware Coober Pedy would not operate as an official polling place on Saturday, March 21, for the SA state election, residents claim.
The group claimed, “No formal notification of this change was provided to the community”.
“Instead, residents have been left to infer that the introduction of pre-poll voting this year has (or may have) replaced the town’s long-standing Election Day Polling Place, which has historically served local residents, travellers and those from surrounding areas.”
Voters were able to vote early on Saturday, March 14, from 9 am to 4 pm at the Coober Pedy TAFE, and on Sunday, March 15, from 9 am to 11 am.
“These limited and irregular hours were insufficient to meet the needs of many residents, particularly those who were working, travelling, or otherwise engaged,” the group said.
“A significant number of voters reasonably relied on the expectation that they would be able to cast their vote locally on the official election day, as has consistently been the case in previous elections.
“This situation raises serious concerns regarding equitable access to the democratic process for remote and regional voters. The effective removal of an election day polling place, without clear and timely communication, has placed an unreasonable burden on residents and risks disenfranchising eligible voters.”
An ECSA spokesperson said announcements about voting availability was communicated to the Coober Pedy community via local radio, in newspapers and on social media.
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“All information regarding the election including voting locations and times are available on the Electoral Commission website,” the spokesperson said.
“Signage identifying the polling location was also in place outside the venue during the hours of polling on both days.
“Eligible electors could also vote by post or by telephone assisted voting.
“Electors who are unable to get to a polling place will not be fined.”
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