24 October 2012

The count goes on

| johnboy
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Elections ACT are letting it be known they’ve just about finished the primary vote count with 90% about the most we get actually basting a ballot.

They’re now scanning the ballots but don’t expect to really rock and roll with the crucial preferences until Saturday.

“Some media reports have indicated that more than 30,000 votes remain to be counted. This is incorrect”, Mr Green said.

“While the difference between the number of votes counted to date and the number of electors on the ACT electoral roll is around 30,000, not all electors on the roll can be expected to vote. In a typical ACT election, only 90% of enrolled electors turnout to vote. Many of those who do not vote will have a valid and sufficient reason for failing to vote – for example, if they are ill or overseas,” Mr Green said.

No additional first preference votes will be counted today (Wednesday 24 October). Around 2500 votes are expected to be counted tomorrow (Thursday 25 October), including postal votes and votes cast in small numbers at polling places for particular electorates, which are consolidated at the central scrutiny centre to ensure the secrecy of the ballot.

Today, Elections ACT staff are continuing the detailed process of electronically scanning and verifying every preference written on every paper ballot cast in the election.

Every evening this week, Elections ACT intends to post an interim distribution of preferences on its website. These figures will consist of ballot papers counted for whole polling places to ensure they do not skew the results posted. However, users of these results are cautioned that they only represent a sample of preferences, and the final outcome cannot be determined until all of the preferences are counted.

“As postal votes can be received up until Friday 26 October, the final result cannot be determined until all of these votes have been processed and included in the count. This cannot occur until Saturday 27 October at the earliest,” Mr Green said.

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Have to say I’m fairly impressed at the rate the election posters got taken down. In the UK they generally stay up for weeks sometimes months after the fact.

maxblues said :

Just a thought…if postal votes can still be received up to the 26th… Could political parties get a certain number of their members to apply for postal votes, get them to hold off voting until trends have been identified, then direct votes to a candidate that needs to get over the line…maybe an ally from another party? Let’s face it, Greeny says 10% of votes (25,000?) could potentially still come in. To be fair I’m verballing him and they must have a regulation to deal with this. I also noted the large numbers that voted informally (trakky daks).

I am wondering if in the near future with the increase in electronic voting if we might see large scoreboards outside polling places showing current standings. You could then direct your primary vote where required and not worry about preferences.

colourful sydney racing identity12:25 pm 25 Oct 12

Chop71 said :

maxblues said :

Just a thought…if postal votes can still be received up to the 26th… Could political parties get a certain number of their members to apply for postal votes, get them to hold off voting until trends have been identified, then direct votes to a candidate that needs to get over the line…maybe an ally from another party? Let’s face it, Greeny says 10% of votes (25,000?) could potentially still come in. To be fair I’m verballing him and they must have a regulation to deal with this. I also noted the large numbers that voted informally (trakky daks).

Not sure if I am correct but I thought they had to be postal stamped pre election date to be counted.
Someone correct me if I am wrong please

This is my understanding.

milkman said :

Having an election with the results so close suggests that there wasn’t a party that stood out as being a clear leader, and that both the majors suck equally. The Greens suck even more, and apppear to have gotteen what they deserved.

ALP and Libs both had a swing to them.

colourful sydney racing identity12:23 pm 25 Oct 12

Chop71 said :

colourful sydney racing identity said :

cmdwedge said :

Exciting times! Liberals are a mere 22 votes ahead of Labor. What an election!

what odds can I get on a tie????

You’re wearing your fine cotton shirt again

🙂 well played.

Chop71 said :

maxblues said :

Just a thought…if postal votes can still be received up to the 26th… Could political parties get a certain number of their members to apply for postal votes, get them to hold off voting until trends have been identified, then direct votes to a candidate that needs to get over the line…maybe an ally from another party? Let’s face it, Greeny says 10% of votes (25,000?) could potentially still come in. To be fair I’m verballing him and they must have a regulation to deal with this. I also noted the large numbers that voted informally (trakky daks).

Not sure if I am correct but I thought they had to be postal stamped pre election date to be counted.
Someone correct me if I am wrong please

You are probably right, but if IDs can be forged, how hard is it to forge a stamp or go ‘postal’ and misappropriate one?

maxblues said :

Just a thought…if postal votes can still be received up to the 26th… Could political parties get a certain number of their members to apply for postal votes, get them to hold off voting until trends have been identified, then direct votes to a candidate that needs to get over the line…maybe an ally from another party? Let’s face it, Greeny says 10% of votes (25,000?) could potentially still come in. To be fair I’m verballing him and they must have a regulation to deal with this. I also noted the large numbers that voted informally (trakky daks).

Not sure if I am correct but I thought they had to be postal stamped pre election date to be counted.
Someone correct me if I am wrong please

colourful sydney racing identity said :

cmdwedge said :

Exciting times! Liberals are a mere 22 votes ahead of Labor. What an election!

what odds can I get on a tie????

You’re wearing your fine cotton shirt again

Just a thought…if postal votes can still be received up to the 26th… Could political parties get a certain number of their members to apply for postal votes, get them to hold off voting until trends have been identified, then direct votes to a candidate that needs to get over the line…maybe an ally from another party? Let’s face it, Greeny says 10% of votes (25,000?) could potentially still come in. To be fair I’m verballing him and they must have a regulation to deal with this. I also noted the large numbers that voted informally (trakky daks).

milkman said :

Having an election with the results so close suggests that there wasn’t a party that stood out as being a clear leader, and that both the majors suck equally. The Greens suck even more, and apppear to have gotteen what they deserved.

I dunno…it seemed less like disillusionment with the 2 major parties this time, as they got more votes and the greens got less. People tended to vote greens just out of disgust for the 2 major parties, but now that is not happening so much.

Having an election with the results so close suggests that there wasn’t a party that stood out as being a clear leader, and that both the majors suck equally. The Greens suck even more, and apppear to have gotteen what they deserved.

colourful sydney racing identity5:07 pm 24 Oct 12

cmdwedge said :

Exciting times! Liberals are a mere 22 votes ahead of Labor. What an election!

what odds can I get on a tie????

Mmmmmm, basted ballot.

Exciting times! Liberals are a mere 22 votes ahead of Labor. What an election!

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