Long weekend of voting to add to 32,000 early votes already cast
More than 32,000 Canberrans have already voted in the 2020 ACT Legislative Assembly election and many more are expected to cast their vote this long weekend.
Electoral Commissioner, Damian Cantwell AM said that all fifteen early voting centres will be open from 9am to 5pm on Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
“It is pleasing to see so many ACT residents have listened to our message to vote early this election and have cast their vote in this first week of early voting,” Mr Cantwell said.
“At the previous ACT election in 2016 the number of votes cast at an early voting centre did not surpass 32,000 until the Monday of the final week of the election period.
“While it is still early, there is no doubt that we’re on track for a record number of people casting an early vote.”
The encouragement of early voting is designed to help spread voter attendance across a three-week voting period, reducing the potential for large gatherings. This is one of many COVID-19 safety measures being implemented by Elections ACT for the 2020 ACT Legislative Assembly election.
Editor’s notes:
- Early voting statistics are available on the following page
- Early voting locations are available at https://www.elections.act.gov.au/elections_and_voting/2020_legislative_assembly_election/2020-polling-places
- Information on what time of day voters are attending each early voting centre is available at https://www.elections.act.gov.au/elections_and_voting/2020_legislative_assembly_election/voter-frequency
Votes cast each day
| 2016 | 2020 | |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | 2,589 | 7,978 |
| Day 2 | 2,587 | 8,697 |
| Day 3 | 2,019 | 7,788 |
| Day 4 | 2,469 | 8,323 |
% of votes cast at early voting centres - previous ACT elections
| Election | Early voting - % of enrolled |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 10.60% |
| 1998 | 12.20% |
| 2001 | 12.40% |
| 2004 | 14.70% |
| 2008 | 20.30% |
| 2012 | 26.90% |
| 2016 | 33.70% |
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