{"id":254768,"date":"2020-03-16T11:18:15","date_gmt":"2020-03-16T01:18:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=254768"},"modified":"2020-06-24T20:37:15","modified_gmt":"2020-06-24T10:37:15","slug":"candidates-dump-how-to-vote-cards","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2020\/03\/16\/candidates-dump-how-to-vote-cards\/","title":{"rendered":"Candidates Dump How-To-Vote Cards"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Cr Danita Potter and Mayor Keith Campbell … won’t be handing out How-T0-Vote cards<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

March 16, 2020<\/strong><\/p>\n

South Burnett council election candidates have been urged to abandon handing out How-To-Vote cards for the safety of both volunteers and voters during the COVID-19 crisis.<\/p>\n

South Burnett Mayor Keith Campbell said a teleconference with all Queensland mayors and CEOs was held on Monday morning, chaired by Local Government Minister Stirling Hinchliffe.<\/p>\n

Also taking part were Attorney-General Yvette D’Ath and Queensland Electoral Commissioner Pat Vidgen.<\/p>\n

The strong advice from the teleconference – although it was not made mandatory – was that contact between volunteers and voters be limited as far as possible at polling booths.<\/p>\n

Pre-polling opened across Queensland on Monday morning.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mayor Campbell said he had managed to contact all but two candidates to pass on the advice after the conference.<\/p>\n

He recommended that How-To-Vote cards not be physically handed out.<\/p>\n

“This is for the safety of volunteers – a number of whom are elderly themselves – as well as the health and safety of the public,” Mayor Campbell said.<\/p>\n

Voters are also being encouraged to bring along their own pen or pencil to vote.<\/p>\n

“Hand sanitiser will also be available at polling booths,” Mayor Campbell said.<\/p>\n

The Mayor said he believed the likelihood was the coronavirus problem would worsen before it gets better.<\/p>\n

Cr Danita Potter said she had made the decision to not hand out How-To-Vote cards to protect her volunteers, who were family members and friends, as well as voters.<\/strong><\/p>\n

“It may well cost me votes, but it is important to set an example,” she said.<\/p>\n

“Health is part of my Council portfolio.”<\/p>\n

Applications for postal votes<\/a><\/strong> close at 7:00pm on Monday (March 16).<\/p>\n

An Electoral Commission spokesperson said more than 96,000 people across Queensland had already applied for a postal vote.<\/p>\n