Postal voting plea issued for remote residents for North West Central by-election on September 17

Remote residents in WA’s biggest electorate — North West Central, which covers more than 820,000sqkm — are being urged to take advantage of postal voting to make sure they have their say in the September 17 by-election. WA Electoral Commissioner Robert Kennedy said the vastness of the electorate and its sparse population meant not everyone could easily get to a polling place on election day. “As WA’s largest electorate, North West Central presents the full range of logistical challenges in conducting a fair and accessible election, and as a result we have a number of options available to ensure as many voters as possible can participate,” Mr Kennedy said. “Postal voting is probably the best option for people living in the many small communities and rural properties spread throughout the electorate. We also have a mobile polling team who’ll be visiting approximately a dozen remote Aboriginal communities in the fortnight prior to September 17.” There are no restrictions on who can apply for a postal vote. The only pre-requisite is to be an enrolled voter. Postal vote applications can be made online or by phoning the commission on 13 63 06. Applications close at 6pm on Wednesday, September 14. Postal votes need to be received by the commission by 9am on Thursday, September 22 to be included in the count. Voters can also vote in person ahead of election day. The Carnarvon Woolshed is an early voting centre and will be open from 8am to 6pm on weekdays from Wednesday, August 31 to Friday, September 16. Early votes can also be cast in Perth during those dates at the WAEC’s St George’s Terrace office between 8.30am and 4.30pm. Fifteen polling places will be open between 8am and 6pm on polling day, including the Carnarvon Woolshed, Coral Bay Learning Centre, Cue Primary School, Shark Bay School, Carnarvon Community College, Exmouth Shire Hall, Kalbarri District High School, Meekatharra Shire Hall, Mount Magnet District High School, Onslow Primary School, Pannawonica Primary School, Paraburdoo Primary School, Tom Price Recreation Centre, Wiluna Remote Community School and Core Stadium Recreation Centre in Yalgoo. At the 2021 poll, just over 42 per cent of voters in North west Central cast their ballot by postal or early voting. Nominations for party-endorsed candidates close at noon on Thursday, while the deadline for independent candidates is noon on Friday. The main party candidates confirmed at this stage are Merome Beard for the Nationals, Will Baston for the Liberals and Niels Glahn-Bertelsen for the Greens. Labor is not fielding a candidate. The by-election was triggered by the resignation of long-time Nationals MP Vince Catania.