By Callum Ludwig
Upper Yarra voters looking to place their vote early ahead of the Saturday 14 October date for the The Voice referendum may be dismayed to see the lack of convenient options.
The nearest early voting station to Warburton, the most removed larger township, is 31km away in Healesville at the Darron Honey Centre.
An Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) spokesperson said the AEC chooses locations based on population size, voting habits, as well as availability of premises.
“Important to note though that on referendum day itself – October 14 – there will be two polling places in Warburton with a plethora of other polling places in surrounding areas including Millgrove, Wesburn, Yarra Junction etc,” they said.
“During the federal election last year, the Upper Yarra area was serviced by a similar number of pre-poll centres prior to polling day,”
“Also important to keep in mind that we can’t always secure centrally located premises for all voters during the pre-poll period in an operation of this size, and with five weeks’ notice, where we want them.”
The next best early voting option for Upper Yarra residents is in Lilydale at St Patrick’s Parish Community Centre at 40 Jones Street, Lilydale. Others even further astray are in Chirnside Park, Croydon and Boronia.
The AEC spokesperson said as always, it is important for people to plan their vote.
“The majority of people will vote on voting day itself, however for those that can’t vote on the day, the pre-poll locations in Healesville and Lilydale are open for those who need it,” they said. “Additionally, if needed, voters can apply for a postal vote to be delivered to their home. All of these options mean that people have a choice about when and where and how they can vote with just a little bit of planning and flexibility – similar to federal elections.”
Postal voting applications will remain open until 6pm on Wednesday 11 October.
The AEC spokesperson said Australia has some of the best access of all electoral processes around the globe.
“It is a system envied by so many. Citizen expectations in the digital age don’t always accord with a manual process like elections or referendums – it does require some planning to see where and when you’ll vote.”
The Victorian Electoral Commission, a separate entity from the AEC, utilised the old Launch Hardware building in Launching Place for last year’s state election.
