Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / NT Deputy Electoral Commissioner Kirsten Kelly explains everything you need to know ahead of the Waters Ward by-election

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NT Deputy Electoral Commissioner Kirsten Kelly explains everything you need to know ahead of the Waters Ward by-election · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: May or may not be aware that there is indeed
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: another by election this weekend, but it is for council
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  Speaker 1: and it's for the waters Ward. And joining me in
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  Speaker 1: the studio to tell us a little bit more is
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  Speaker 1: the Deputy Electoral Commissioner Kirston Kelly. Good morning to you, Kirston.
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  Speaker 2: Good morning Katie, and good morning listeners.
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  Speaker 1: Thank you so much for your time this morning. Now
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  Speaker 1: with this by election for the waters Ward, what suburbs
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  Speaker 1: have de voute Katie?
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  Speaker 2: So there are a number of suburbs is about twelve thousand,
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  Speaker 2: nine hundred electors that are on the role at the
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  Speaker 2: close of rolls who are eligible to participate in the
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  Speaker 2: waters Ward by election, and those electors are from the
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  Speaker 2: suburbs of Wogerman, will Lagi, Moyle, Anula, Malac, Karama, Marara
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  Speaker 2: and North Lakes Eton, Winnelly, Kunawara, Karama if I've missed
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  Speaker 2: Karama and parts of Barrama as well are included in
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  Speaker 2: the suburbs.
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  Speaker 1: So it's really quite a large electorate or ward, isn't it.
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  Speaker 2: It is quite a large one. So certainly that a
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  Speaker 2: lot of the northern suburbs in this election, and has there.
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  Speaker 1: Been have people had the opportunity to vote early already
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  Speaker 1: that they have actually, so we're moving into our second
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  Speaker 1: week of early voting.
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  Speaker 2: So today we've had about twenty two percent of the
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  Speaker 2: electors come and participate and take up early voting opportunities,
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  Speaker 2: either postal voting or coming in and attending an early
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  Speaker 2: voting center. And those are located in our office, the
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  Speaker 2: Anti Electoral Commission office in TCG Center and also the
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  Speaker 2: Casuarina Library of the Community Center. There is another early
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  Speaker 2: voting center that's had over nearly two thousand electors have
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  Speaker 2: gone to Casuarina and cast an early vote there.
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  Speaker 1: That is good to hear, and I guess it's always
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  Speaker 1: like it is always good when people get in and
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  Speaker 1: vote early. You know, only vote once. Don't listen to
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  Speaker 1: Kesi Epiric, the Member for God's Advice who sets vote
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  Speaker 1: frequently because you're only allowed to vote once. But make
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  Speaker 1: sure that you do get in there early and then
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  Speaker 1: it sort of makes things a bit easier as well
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  Speaker 1: if come Saturday, you've got plenty of other things that
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  Speaker 1: you need to get done. Now with the with the
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  Speaker 1: the number of people on the on the electron on
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  Speaker 1: the electoral role in that ward just find my words
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  Speaker 1: for this morning. Twenty two percent already out and voted.
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  Speaker 1: Are you hoping to get a good voter turnout? What
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  Speaker 1: is the voter turnout usually like with council by elections.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, that's a really good question, and we certainly would
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  Speaker 2: encourage all voters that haven't haven an entitlement, that haven't
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  Speaker 2: yet voted, to please come and vote through early voting
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  Speaker 2: or on election day. But in comparison, Katie, we can
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  Speaker 2: see in the February twenty twenty Lines Ward by election
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  Speaker 2: we had about a fifty two percent voter turnout, and
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  Speaker 2: when we look at the local government elections from August
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  Speaker 2: twenty twenty one, there was about a sixty four percent
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  Speaker 2: turnout for the Warters Ward. So at twenty two percent currently,
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  Speaker 2: we're not quite there. We absolutely would like people to
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  Speaker 2: come out. We certainly don't want to see those numbers
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  Speaker 2: going backwards. We certainly would like people to participate. And
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  Speaker 2: with two weeks of early voting and three voting day
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  Speaker 2: election day voting centers available and postal votes closing today,
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  Speaker 2: so there is still an opportunity for your listeners who
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  Speaker 2: are in those wards that don't or can't make a
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  Speaker 2: voting center to please contact the Electoral Commission or get
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  Speaker 2: online and apply for a postal vote. They do close
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  Speaker 2: today and then we've got extended voting hours through early
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  Speaker 2: voting at Casarina Library and also the Antech Electoral Office.
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  Speaker 2: Today it's open till five o'clock. Tomorrow it's open from
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  Speaker 2: five until six o'clock, so there's an extra hour on
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  Speaker 2: your way home from work. Please come and see the
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  Speaker 2: team and please cast your vote. And on election Day
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  Speaker 2: we've got three election day voting centers and they are
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  Speaker 2: the Moyal Primary School, Sanderson Middle School and o'lachland Catholic College,
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  Speaker 2: so they're certainly well positioned in those suburbs that do
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  Speaker 2: need to vote. We'd certainly encourage people to come and
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  Speaker 2: attend and cast their vote.
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  Speaker 1: So really trying to make it as easy as possible
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  Speaker 1: for people to get out there and vote. And I
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  Speaker 1: know that we're all a bit disappointed with the voter
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  Speaker 1: turnout at the Fannny Bay by election, but that was
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  Speaker 1: you know, that's obviously for the Northern Territory Government. We
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  Speaker 1: are talking here about council. Make sure that you get
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  Speaker 1: out there, make your voice heard. You know, we're lucky
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  Speaker 1: to live in a country where we all have the
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  Speaker 1: opportunity to get out there and vote, So do make
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  Speaker 1: sure that you go and do so. I do just
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  Speaker 1: want to ask, so, are there going to be fines
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  Speaker 1: for those who don't turn up to vote?
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  Speaker 2: So in the Northern Territory, at all levels of government,
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  Speaker 2: voting is compulsory, Katie, So there is a requirement for
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  Speaker 2: voters to participate. There is also an opportunity if there's
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  Speaker 2: a reasonable excuse where people can't attend, for those to
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  Speaker 2: be lodged. But certainly at the end of each election
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  Speaker 2: we'll look at the data and see and I certainly
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  Speaker 2: heard the Commissioner speaking with the earlier in the week
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  Speaker 2: that we will be looking at the data from the
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  Speaker 2: Fanny Bay by election just to understand the demographics of
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  Speaker 2: where people aren't participating it and possible reasons for that
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  Speaker 2: and make decisions about non voters at that point.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah. Now, just remind us one last time, Kirsten, where
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  Speaker 1: can people go to vote if they have not already
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  Speaker 1: done so.
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  Speaker 2: So first thing is, if you aren't able to attend
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  Speaker 2: a voting center, please contact the Electoral Commission or go
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  Speaker 2: online and apply for a postal vote. Second options is
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  Speaker 2: early voting today and tomorrow five o'clock today Casarina Library
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  Speaker 2: or the Northern Territory Electoral Commission Office, eighty Mitchell Street.
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  Speaker 2: Tomorrow that again is open for that additional hour till
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  Speaker 2: six o'clock from eight till six tomorrow, and then we've
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  Speaker 2: got our three election day voting centers which will be
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  Speaker 2: open from eight until six o'clock.
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  Speaker 1: So get out there make sure you vote. Kirsten Kelly,
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  Speaker 1: the Deputy Electoral Commissioner, we really appreciate your time this morning,
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  Speaker 1: thanks so much for coming in. And just one last
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  Speaker 1: thing there is there is also another by election coming
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  Speaker 1: up as well, isn't there.
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  Speaker 2: There certainly is a busy time for the Electoral Commission
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  Speaker 2: and busy time for the electors in those areas subject
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  Speaker 2: to the by election. So I just wanted to let
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  Speaker 2: people know that the Wogite Shire also has a by election,
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  Speaker 2: with election day being the seventeenth of September. So just
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  Speaker 2: letting people know that nominations for candidacy opened last Friday.
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  Speaker 2: They do close on Thursday, the first of September, so
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  Speaker 2: that's next week at twelve noon. If you've got any
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  Speaker 2: questions about the nomination process, please contact the Anti Electrical Commission.
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  Speaker 2: If you're interested in unstanding what it means to be
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  Speaker 2: a counselor in that particular shire, the Waggite Shire, please
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  Speaker 2: contact the Woggite Council office and get some information there well.
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  Speaker 1: And I know we've got plenty of people that listen
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  Speaker 1: to the show that live in that area. So if
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  Speaker 1: you are somebody that listens and you are keen you know,
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  Speaker 1: to be part of the local council there, I think
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  Speaker 1: this is a fantastic opportunity, So get in contact with
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  Speaker 1: the Northern Territory Electoral Commission and you can find out more. Kirsten,
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  Speaker 1: thank you so much for your time this morning.
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  Speaker 2: Thank you Kate,