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<postdate>2024-10-11 11:14:26</postdate>
<headline>Early voting numbers strong, says commissioner</headline>
<body><p style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Early voting for ACT Legislative Assembly election has been strong, with the first day, Tuesday, up 65 per cent on 2020, says Electoral Commissioner Damian Cantwell.</strong></p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">The first day saw 13,319 ACT electors vote across 11 early voting centres, and over the first three days, more than 35,000 Canberrans cast a vote, with 94 per cent voting electronically.</p>
<p>Demand for postal voting was also strong with 22,902 postal votes issued as of Thursday.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">"We are pleased to see such a high participation in early voting," Mr Cantwell said. "Legislative changes now allow all ACT electors to vote at their convenience over a two-week period."</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">He said the voting centres were busiest in the morning when opening at 10.30 am during the week.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">"Voter numbers remain steady throughout the middle part of the day, with voting centres becoming quieter from around 2 pm until they close at 6.30 pm," he said.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">"Overall early voting numbers are expected to rise, with voting centres becoming busier each day leading up to the final day on October 19. I would encourage voters to plan accordingly, noting that you donâ€™t have to cast your vote in your electorate but in any convenient voting centre."</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;"><em>Locations for early voting centres are <a href="http://www.elections.act.gov.au/for-voters/how-and-where-to-vote/where-to-vote-early-voting">here.</a></em></p>
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