❓ A WA parliamentary question addresses concerns about the recent local government elections, including counting issues, voter turnout, and the use of first-past-the-post voting. The Minister acknowledges some issues but largely defends the election's success, attributing problems to the Electoral Commission.
AnsweredQoN 1060Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
LOCAL GOVERNMENT - ELECTIONS 1060. Hon BRUCE DONALDSON to the Minister for Local Government: (1) Has the minister been briefed regarding any problems that occurred in the recent local government elections with the change of date or the new counting procedures? (2) Have any changes been suggested or will be required for the next local government elections? (3) Have any discussions taken place on the poor voter turnout in many local authority areas? (4) Has the minister been advised of the number of eligible electors in areas which used first-past-the-post as the vote-counting procedure and which had done so since 1995? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the question without notice. (1)-(4) First of all, I have to say that any issues in relation to the count itself - I have heard a few complaints - were to do with the conduct of the count by the Western Australian Electoral Commission. Therefore, the complaints that I have heard are really the responsibility of the Western Australian Electoral Commission rather than the Department of Local Government and Regional Development. I know that the Western Australian Local Government Association is also reviewing the election outcomes with a view to ensuring that anything that can be avoided in future will be taken up with the Electoral Commission. In relation to voter turnout and the number of informal votes and the like, there is a range of preliminary indicators. Certainly, we had the highest number of electors and voters on record this time around. There was a total of 1 303 232 electors - Hon Bruce Donaldson : Eligible electors, not voters? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : Yes. We had 1 158 candidates. The male-female ratio was 29 to 31; the same as in 2005. There were 44 candidates for mayoral elections, which is the highest in the past three elections. The final turnout figure is not available from the Electoral Commission but it is estimated at just under 35 per cent. When I had a look at 2005, it was just under 35 per cent, so there is very little variation, and it was higher than the two years previously. That was an interesting indicator. The male-female ratio of elected members was 29 to 31, which is the same as in 2005. Eighteen elected candidates identified themselves as being Indigenous people, which is the highest number on record. Errors in only two wards were reported in a mail-out of over one million packages, with over 200 permutations of ballot papers. I understand that the software developed to count the votes using the new system was faultless. There was not an issue with the system and the Western Australian Electoral Commission is confident that the logistical issues causing these delays can be addressed. The informality rates available to date indicate one per cent votes informal, which is consistent with previous elections. I therefore must say that the election went very well and I must commend the Department of Local Government and Regional Development for the preparatory work it did with the councils in the lead-up to the election because it really went very smoothly. I was at a function that evening. Anything could have happened. The whole thing could have fallen into a heap and there could have been all sorts of problems. However, all the votes were in and counted, the count was concluded and the results were pretty much ready by 11 o’clock that night. It was a pretty good result all round. We have not had one complaint from a member of the public. Hon Bruce Donaldson : What do you think of the 19-year-old elected in the Kalgoorlie-Boulder council? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : That has got to be a good thing. Hon Bruce Donaldson : It is.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT - ELECTIONS
(1) Has the minister been briefed regarding any problems that occurred in the recent local government elections with the change of date or the new counting procedures? (2) Have any changes been suggested or will be required for the next local government elections? (3) Have any discussions taken place on the poor voter turnout in many local authority areas? (4) Has the minister been advised of the number of eligible electors in areas which used first-past-the-post as the vote-counting procedure and which had done so since 1995? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: I thank the member for the question without notice. (1)-(4) First of all, I have to say that any issues in relation to the count itself - I have heard a few complaints - were to do with the conduct of the count by the Western Australian Electoral Commission. Therefore, the complaints that I have heard are really the responsibility of the Western Australian Electoral Commission rather than the Department of Local Government and Regional Development. I know that the Western Australian Local Government Association is also reviewing the election outcomes with a view to ensuring that anything that can be avoided in future will be taken up with the Electoral Commission. In relation to voter turnout and the number of informal votes and the like, there is a range of preliminary indicators. Certainly, we had the highest number of electors and voters on record this time around. There was a total of 1 303 232 electors - Hon Bruce Donaldson : Eligible electors, not voters? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : Yes. We had 1 158 candidates. The male-female ratio was 29 to 31; the same as in 2005. There were 44 candidates for mayoral elections, which is the highest in the past three elections. The final turnout figure is not available from the Electoral Commission but it is estimated at just under 35 per cent. When I had a look at 2005, it was just under 35 per cent, so there is very little variation, and it was higher than the two years previously. That was an interesting indicator. The male-female ratio of elected members was 29 to 31, which is the same as in 2005. Eighteen elected candidates identified themselves as being Indigenous people, which is the highest number on record. Errors in only two wards were reported in a mail-out of over one million packages, with over 200 permutations of ballot papers. I understand that the software developed to count the votes using the new system was faultless. There was not an issue with the system and the Western Australian Electoral Commission is confident that the logistical issues causing these delays can be addressed. The informality rates available to date indicate one per cent votes informal, which is consistent with previous elections. I therefore must say that the election went very well and I must commend the Department of Local Government and Regional Development for the preparatory work it did with the councils in the lead-up to the election because it really went very smoothly. I was at a function that evening. Anything could have happened. The whole thing could have fallen into a heap and there could have been all sorts of problems. However, all the votes were in and counted, the count was concluded and the results were pretty much ready by 11 o’clock that night. It was a pretty good result all round. We have not had one complaint from a member of the public. Hon Bruce Donaldson : What do you think of the 19-year-old elected in the Kalgoorlie-Boulder council? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : That has got to be a good thing. Hon Bruce Donaldson : It is.
(2) Have any changes been suggested or will be required for the next local government elections? (3) Have any discussions taken place on the poor voter turnout in many local authority areas? (4) Has the minister been advised of the number of eligible electors in areas which used first-past-the-post as the vote-counting procedure and which had done so since 1995? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: I thank the member for the question without notice. (1)-(4) First of all, I have to say that any issues in relation to the count itself - I have heard a few complaints - were to do with the conduct of the count by the Western Australian Electoral Commission. Therefore, the complaints that I have heard are really the responsibility of the Western Australian Electoral Commission rather than the Department of Local Government and Regional Development. I know that the Western Australian Local Government Association is also reviewing the election outcomes with a view to ensuring that anything that can be avoided in future will be taken up with the Electoral Commission. In relation to voter turnout and the number of informal votes and the like, there is a range of preliminary indicators. Certainly, we had the highest number of electors and voters on record this time around. There was a total of 1 303 232 electors - Hon Bruce Donaldson : Eligible electors, not voters? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : Yes. We had 1 158 candidates. The male-female ratio was 29 to 31; the same as in 2005. There were 44 candidates for mayoral elections, which is the highest in the past three elections. The final turnout figure is not available from the Electoral Commission but it is estimated at just under 35 per cent. When I had a look at 2005, it was just under 35 per cent, so there is very little variation, and it was higher than the two years previously. That was an interesting indicator. The male-female ratio of elected members was 29 to 31, which is the same as in 2005. Eighteen elected candidates identified themselves as being Indigenous people, which is the highest number on record. Errors in only two wards were reported in a mail-out of over one million packages, with over 200 permutations of ballot papers. I understand that the software developed to count the votes using the new system was faultless. There was not an issue with the system and the Western Australian Electoral Commission is confident that the logistical issues causing these delays can be addressed. The informality rates available to date indicate one per cent votes informal, which is consistent with previous elections. I therefore must say that the election went very well and I must commend the Department of Local Government and Regional Development for the preparatory work it did with the councils in the lead-up to the election because it really went very smoothly. I was at a function that evening. Anything could have happened. The whole thing could have fallen into a heap and there could have been all sorts of problems. However, all the votes were in and counted, the count was concluded and the results were pretty much ready by 11 o’clock that night. It was a pretty good result all round. We have not had one complaint from a member of the public. Hon Bruce Donaldson : What do you think of the 19-year-old elected in the Kalgoorlie-Boulder council? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : That has got to be a good thing. Hon Bruce Donaldson : It is.
(3) Have any discussions taken place on the poor voter turnout in many local authority areas? (4) Has the minister been advised of the number of eligible electors in areas which used first-past-the-post as the vote-counting procedure and which had done so since 1995? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: I thank the member for the question without notice. (1)-(4) First of all, I have to say that any issues in relation to the count itself - I have heard a few complaints - were to do with the conduct of the count by the Western Australian Electoral Commission. Therefore, the complaints that I have heard are really the responsibility of the Western Australian Electoral Commission rather than the Department of Local Government and Regional Development. I know that the Western Australian Local Government Association is also reviewing the election outcomes with a view to ensuring that anything that can be avoided in future will be taken up with the Electoral Commission. In relation to voter turnout and the number of informal votes and the like, there is a range of preliminary indicators. Certainly, we had the highest number of electors and voters on record this time around. There was a total of 1 303 232 electors - Hon Bruce Donaldson : Eligible electors, not voters? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : Yes. We had 1 158 candidates. The male-female ratio was 29 to 31; the same as in 2005. There were 44 candidates for mayoral elections, which is the highest in the past three elections. The final turnout figure is not available from the Electoral Commission but it is estimated at just under 35 per cent. When I had a look at 2005, it was just under 35 per cent, so there is very little variation, and it was higher than the two years previously. That was an interesting indicator. The male-female ratio of elected members was 29 to 31, which is the same as in 2005. Eighteen elected candidates identified themselves as being Indigenous people, which is the highest number on record. Errors in only two wards were reported in a mail-out of over one million packages, with over 200 permutations of ballot papers. I understand that the software developed to count the votes using the new system was faultless. There was not an issue with the system and the Western Australian Electoral Commission is confident that the logistical issues causing these delays can be addressed. The informality rates available to date indicate one per cent votes informal, which is consistent with previous elections. I therefore must say that the election went very well and I must commend the Department of Local Government and Regional Development for the preparatory work it did with the councils in the lead-up to the election because it really went very smoothly. I was at a function that evening. Anything could have happened. The whole thing could have fallen into a heap and there could have been all sorts of problems. However, all the votes were in and counted, the count was concluded and the results were pretty much ready by 11 o’clock that night. It was a pretty good result all round. We have not had one complaint from a member of the public. Hon Bruce Donaldson : What do you think of the 19-year-old elected in the Kalgoorlie-Boulder council? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : That has got to be a good thing. Hon Bruce Donaldson : It is.
(4) Has the minister been advised of the number of eligible electors in areas which used first-past-the-post as the vote-counting procedure and which had done so since 1995? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: I thank the member for the question without notice. (1)-(4) First of all, I have to say that any issues in relation to the count itself - I have heard a few complaints - were to do with the conduct of the count by the Western Australian Electoral Commission. Therefore, the complaints that I have heard are really the responsibility of the Western Australian Electoral Commission rather than the Department of Local Government and Regional Development. I know that the Western Australian Local Government Association is also reviewing the election outcomes with a view to ensuring that anything that can be avoided in future will be taken up with the Electoral Commission. In relation to voter turnout and the number of informal votes and the like, there is a range of preliminary indicators. Certainly, we had the highest number of electors and voters on record this time around. There was a total of 1 303 232 electors - Hon Bruce Donaldson : Eligible electors, not voters? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : Yes. We had 1 158 candidates. The male-female ratio was 29 to 31; the same as in 2005. There were 44 candidates for mayoral elections, which is the highest in the past three elections. The final turnout figure is not available from the Electoral Commission but it is estimated at just under 35 per cent. When I had a look at 2005, it was just under 35 per cent, so there is very little variation, and it was higher than the two years previously. That was an interesting indicator. The male-female ratio of elected members was 29 to 31, which is the same as in 2005. Eighteen elected candidates identified themselves as being Indigenous people, which is the highest number on record. Errors in only two wards were reported in a mail-out of over one million packages, with over 200 permutations of ballot papers. I understand that the software developed to count the votes using the new system was faultless. There was not an issue with the system and the Western Australian Electoral Commission is confident that the logistical issues causing these delays can be addressed. The informality rates available to date indicate one per cent votes informal, which is consistent with previous elections. I therefore must say that the election went very well and I must commend the Department of Local Government and Regional Development for the preparatory work it did with the councils in the lead-up to the election because it really went very smoothly. I was at a function that evening. Anything could have happened. The whole thing could have fallen into a heap and there could have been all sorts of problems. However, all the votes were in and counted, the count was concluded and the results were pretty much ready by 11 o’clock that night. It was a pretty good result all round. We have not had one complaint from a member of the public. Hon Bruce Donaldson : What do you think of the 19-year-old elected in the Kalgoorlie-Boulder council? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : That has got to be a good thing. Hon Bruce Donaldson : It is.
Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: I thank the member for the question without notice. (1)-(4) First of all, I have to say that any issues in relation to the count itself - I have heard a few complaints - were to do with the conduct of the count by the Western Australian Electoral Commission. Therefore, the complaints that I have heard are really the responsibility of the Western Australian Electoral Commission rather than the Department of Local Government and Regional Development. I know that the Western Australian Local Government Association is also reviewing the election outcomes with a view to ensuring that anything that can be avoided in future will be taken up with the Electoral Commission. In relation to voter turnout and the number of informal votes and the like, there is a range of preliminary indicators. Certainly, we had the highest number of electors and voters on record this time around. There was a total of 1 303 232 electors - Hon Bruce Donaldson : Eligible electors, not voters? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : Yes. We had 1 158 candidates. The male-female ratio was 29 to 31; the same as in 2005. There were 44 candidates for mayoral elections, which is the highest in the past three elections. The final turnout figure is not available from the Electoral Commission but it is estimated at just under 35 per cent. When I had a look at 2005, it was just under 35 per cent, so there is very little variation, and it was higher than the two years previously. That was an interesting indicator. The male-female ratio of elected members was 29 to 31, which is the same as in 2005. Eighteen elected candidates identified themselves as being Indigenous people, which is the highest number on record. Errors in only two wards were reported in a mail-out of over one million packages, with over 200 permutations of ballot papers. I understand that the software developed to count the votes using the new system was faultless. There was not an issue with the system and the Western Australian Electoral Commission is confident that the logistical issues causing these delays can be addressed. The informality rates available to date indicate one per cent votes informal, which is consistent with previous elections. I therefore must say that the election went very well and I must commend the Department of Local Government and Regional Development for the preparatory work it did with the councils in the lead-up to the election because it really went very smoothly. I was at a function that evening. Anything could have happened. The whole thing could have fallen into a heap and there could have been all sorts of problems. However, all the votes were in and counted, the count was concluded and the results were pretty much ready by 11 o’clock that night. It was a pretty good result all round. We have not had one complaint from a member of the public. Hon Bruce Donaldson : What do you think of the 19-year-old elected in the Kalgoorlie-Boulder council? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : That has got to be a good thing. Hon Bruce Donaldson : It is.
I thank the member for the question without notice. (1)-(4) First of all, I have to say that any issues in relation to the count itself - I have heard a few complaints - were to do with the conduct of the count by the Western Australian Electoral Commission. Therefore, the complaints that I have heard are really the responsibility of the Western Australian Electoral Commission rather than the Department of Local Government and Regional Development. I know that the Western Australian Local Government Association is also reviewing the election outcomes with a view to ensuring that anything that can be avoided in future will be taken up with the Electoral Commission. In relation to voter turnout and the number of informal votes and the like, there is a range of preliminary indicators. Certainly, we had the highest number of electors and voters on record this time around. There was a total of 1 303 232 electors - Hon Bruce Donaldson : Eligible electors, not voters? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : Yes. We had 1 158 candidates. The male-female ratio was 29 to 31; the same as in 2005. There were 44 candidates for mayoral elections, which is the highest in the past three elections. The final turnout figure is not available from the Electoral Commission but it is estimated at just under 35 per cent. When I had a look at 2005, it was just under 35 per cent, so there is very little variation, and it was higher than the two years previously. That was an interesting indicator. The male-female ratio of elected members was 29 to 31, which is the same as in 2005. Eighteen elected candidates identified themselves as being Indigenous people, which is the highest number on record. Errors in only two wards were reported in a mail-out of over one million packages, with over 200 permutations of ballot papers. I understand that the software developed to count the votes using the new system was faultless. There was not an issue with the system and the Western Australian Electoral Commission is confident that the logistical issues causing these delays can be addressed. The informality rates available to date indicate one per cent votes informal, which is consistent with previous elections. I therefore must say that the election went very well and I must commend the Department of Local Government and Regional Development for the preparatory work it did with the councils in the lead-up to the election because it really went very smoothly. I was at a function that evening. Anything could have happened. The whole thing could have fallen into a heap and there could have been all sorts of problems. However, all the votes were in and counted, the count was concluded and the results were pretty much ready by 11 o’clock that night. It was a pretty good result all round. We have not had one complaint from a member of the public. Hon Bruce Donaldson : What do you think of the 19-year-old elected in the Kalgoorlie-Boulder council? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : That has got to be a good thing. Hon Bruce Donaldson : It is.
(1)-(4) First of all, I have to say that any issues in relation to the count itself - I have heard a few complaints - were to do with the conduct of the count by the Western Australian Electoral Commission. Therefore, the complaints that I have heard are really the responsibility of the Western Australian Electoral Commission rather than the Department of Local Government and Regional Development. I know that the Western Australian Local Government Association is also reviewing the election outcomes with a view to ensuring that anything that can be avoided in future will be taken up with the Electoral Commission. In relation to voter turnout and the number of informal votes and the like, there is a range of preliminary indicators. Certainly, we had the highest number of electors and voters on record this time around. There was a total of 1 303 232 electors - Hon Bruce Donaldson : Eligible electors, not voters? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : Yes. We had 1 158 candidates. The male-female ratio was 29 to 31; the same as in 2005. There were 44 candidates for mayoral elections, which is the highest in the past three elections. The final turnout figure is not available from the Electoral Commission but it is estimated at just under 35 per cent. When I had a look at 2005, it was just under 35 per cent, so there is very little variation, and it was higher than the two years previously. That was an interesting indicator. The male-female ratio of elected members was 29 to 31, which is the same as in 2005. Eighteen elected candidates identified themselves as being Indigenous people, which is the highest number on record. Errors in only two wards were reported in a mail-out of over one million packages, with over 200 permutations of ballot papers. I understand that the software developed to count the votes using the new system was faultless. There was not an issue with the system and the Western Australian Electoral Commission is confident that the logistical issues causing these delays can be addressed. The informality rates available to date indicate one per cent votes informal, which is consistent with previous elections. I therefore must say that the election went very well and I must commend the Department of Local Government and Regional Development for the preparatory work it did with the councils in the lead-up to the election because it really went very smoothly. I was at a function that evening. Anything could have happened. The whole thing could have fallen into a heap and there could have been all sorts of problems. However, all the votes were in and counted, the count was concluded and the results were pretty much ready by 11 o’clock that night. It was a pretty good result all round. We have not had one complaint from a member of the public. Hon Bruce Donaldson : What do you think of the 19-year-old elected in the Kalgoorlie-Boulder council? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : That has got to be a good thing. Hon Bruce Donaldson : It is.
Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : Yes. We had 1 158 candidates. The male-female ratio was 29 to 31; the same as in 2005. There were 44 candidates for mayoral elections, which is the highest in the past three elections. The final turnout figure is not available from the Electoral Commission but it is estimated at just under 35 per cent. When I had a look at 2005, it was just under 35 per cent, so there is very little variation, and it was higher than the two years previously. That was an interesting indicator. The male-female ratio of elected members was 29 to 31, which is the same as in 2005. Eighteen elected candidates identified themselves as being Indigenous people, which is the highest number on record. Errors in only two wards were reported in a mail-out of over one million packages, with over 200 permutations of ballot papers. I understand that the software developed to count the votes using the new system was faultless. There was not an issue with the system and the Western Australian Electoral Commission is confident that the logistical issues causing these delays can be addressed. The informality rates available to date indicate one per cent votes informal, which is consistent with previous elections. I therefore must say that the election went very well and I must commend the Department of Local Government and Regional Development for the preparatory work it did with the councils in the lead-up to the election because it really went very smoothly. I was at a function that evening. Anything could have happened. The whole thing could have fallen into a heap and there could have been all sorts of problems. However, all the votes were in and counted, the count was concluded and the results were pretty much ready by 11 o’clock that night. It was a pretty good result all round. We have not had one complaint from a member of the public. Hon Bruce Donaldson : What do you think of the 19-year-old elected in the Kalgoorlie-Boulder council? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : That has got to be a good thing. Hon Bruce Donaldson : It is.
Hon Bruce Donaldson : What do you think of the 19-year-old elected in the Kalgoorlie-Boulder council? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : That has got to be a good thing. Hon Bruce Donaldson : It is.
Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : That has got to be a good thing. Hon Bruce Donaldson : It is.
Hon Bruce Donaldson : It is.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT - ELECTIONS
(1) Has the minister been briefed regarding any problems that occurred in the recent local government elections with the change of date or the new counting procedures? (2) Have any changes been suggested or will be required for the next local government elections? (3) Have any discussions taken place on the poor voter turnout in many local authority areas? (4) Has the minister been advised of the number of eligible electors in areas which used first-past-the-post as the vote-counting procedure and which had done so since 1995? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: I thank the member for the question without notice. (1)-(4) First of all, I have to say that any issues in relation to the count itself - I have heard a few complaints - were to do with the conduct of the count by the Western Australian Electoral Commission. Therefore, the complaints that I have heard are really the responsibility of the Western Australian Electoral Commission rather than the Department of Local Government and Regional Development. I know that the Western Australian Local Government Association is also reviewing the election outcomes with a view to ensuring that anything that can be avoided in future will be taken up with the Electoral Commission. In relation to voter turnout and the number of informal votes and the like, there is a range of preliminary indicators. Certainly, we had the highest number of electors and voters on record this time around. There was a total of 1 303 232 electors - Hon Bruce Donaldson : Eligible electors, not voters? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : Yes. We had 1 158 candidates. The male-female ratio was 29 to 31; the same as in 2005. There were 44 candidates for mayoral elections, which is the highest in the past three elections. The final turnout figure is not available from the Electoral Commission but it is estimated at just under 35 per cent. When I had a look at 2005, it was just under 35 per cent, so there is very little variation, and it was higher than the two years previously. That was an interesting indicator. The male-female ratio of elected members was 29 to 31, which is the same as in 2005. Eighteen elected candidates identified themselves as being Indigenous people, which is the highest number on record. Errors in only two wards were reported in a mail-out of over one million packages, with over 200 permutations of ballot papers. I understand that the software developed to count the votes using the new system was faultless. There was not an issue with the system and the Western Australian Electoral Commission is confident that the logistical issues causing these delays can be addressed. The informality rates available to date indicate one per cent votes informal, which is consistent with previous elections. I therefore must say that the election went very well and I must commend the Department of Local Government and Regional Development for the preparatory work it did with the councils in the lead-up to the election because it really went very smoothly. I was at a function that evening. Anything could have happened. The whole thing could have fallen into a heap and there could have been all sorts of problems. However, all the votes were in and counted, the count was concluded and the results were pretty much ready by 11 o’clock that night. It was a pretty good result all round. We have not had one complaint from a member of the public. Hon Bruce Donaldson : What do you think of the 19-year-old elected in the Kalgoorlie-Boulder council? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : That has got to be a good thing. Hon Bruce Donaldson : It is.
(2) Have any changes been suggested or will be required for the next local government elections? (3) Have any discussions taken place on the poor voter turnout in many local authority areas? (4) Has the minister been advised of the number of eligible electors in areas which used first-past-the-post as the vote-counting procedure and which had done so since 1995? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: I thank the member for the question without notice. (1)-(4) First of all, I have to say that any issues in relation to the count itself - I have heard a few complaints - were to do with the conduct of the count by the Western Australian Electoral Commission. Therefore, the complaints that I have heard are really the responsibility of the Western Australian Electoral Commission rather than the Department of Local Government and Regional Development. I know that the Western Australian Local Government Association is also reviewing the election outcomes with a view to ensuring that anything that can be avoided in future will be taken up with the Electoral Commission. In relation to voter turnout and the number of informal votes and the like, there is a range of preliminary indicators. Certainly, we had the highest number of electors and voters on record this time around. There was a total of 1 303 232 electors - Hon Bruce Donaldson : Eligible electors, not voters? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : Yes. We had 1 158 candidates. The male-female ratio was 29 to 31; the same as in 2005. There were 44 candidates for mayoral elections, which is the highest in the past three elections. The final turnout figure is not available from the Electoral Commission but it is estimated at just under 35 per cent. When I had a look at 2005, it was just under 35 per cent, so there is very little variation, and it was higher than the two years previously. That was an interesting indicator. The male-female ratio of elected members was 29 to 31, which is the same as in 2005. Eighteen elected candidates identified themselves as being Indigenous people, which is the highest number on record. Errors in only two wards were reported in a mail-out of over one million packages, with over 200 permutations of ballot papers. I understand that the software developed to count the votes using the new system was faultless. There was not an issue with the system and the Western Australian Electoral Commission is confident that the logistical issues causing these delays can be addressed. The informality rates available to date indicate one per cent votes informal, which is consistent with previous elections. I therefore must say that the election went very well and I must commend the Department of Local Government and Regional Development for the preparatory work it did with the councils in the lead-up to the election because it really went very smoothly. I was at a function that evening. Anything could have happened. The whole thing could have fallen into a heap and there could have been all sorts of problems. However, all the votes were in and counted, the count was concluded and the results were pretty much ready by 11 o’clock that night. It was a pretty good result all round. We have not had one complaint from a member of the public. Hon Bruce Donaldson : What do you think of the 19-year-old elected in the Kalgoorlie-Boulder council? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : That has got to be a good thing. Hon Bruce Donaldson : It is.
(3) Have any discussions taken place on the poor voter turnout in many local authority areas? (4) Has the minister been advised of the number of eligible electors in areas which used first-past-the-post as the vote-counting procedure and which had done so since 1995? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: I thank the member for the question without notice. (1)-(4) First of all, I have to say that any issues in relation to the count itself - I have heard a few complaints - were to do with the conduct of the count by the Western Australian Electoral Commission. Therefore, the complaints that I have heard are really the responsibility of the Western Australian Electoral Commission rather than the Department of Local Government and Regional Development. I know that the Western Australian Local Government Association is also reviewing the election outcomes with a view to ensuring that anything that can be avoided in future will be taken up with the Electoral Commission. In relation to voter turnout and the number of informal votes and the like, there is a range of preliminary indicators. Certainly, we had the highest number of electors and voters on record this time around. There was a total of 1 303 232 electors - Hon Bruce Donaldson : Eligible electors, not voters? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : Yes. We had 1 158 candidates. The male-female ratio was 29 to 31; the same as in 2005. There were 44 candidates for mayoral elections, which is the highest in the past three elections. The final turnout figure is not available from the Electoral Commission but it is estimated at just under 35 per cent. When I had a look at 2005, it was just under 35 per cent, so there is very little variation, and it was higher than the two years previously. That was an interesting indicator. The male-female ratio of elected members was 29 to 31, which is the same as in 2005. Eighteen elected candidates identified themselves as being Indigenous people, which is the highest number on record. Errors in only two wards were reported in a mail-out of over one million packages, with over 200 permutations of ballot papers. I understand that the software developed to count the votes using the new system was faultless. There was not an issue with the system and the Western Australian Electoral Commission is confident that the logistical issues causing these delays can be addressed. The informality rates available to date indicate one per cent votes informal, which is consistent with previous elections. I therefore must say that the election went very well and I must commend the Department of Local Government and Regional Development for the preparatory work it did with the councils in the lead-up to the election because it really went very smoothly. I was at a function that evening. Anything could have happened. The whole thing could have fallen into a heap and there could have been all sorts of problems. However, all the votes were in and counted, the count was concluded and the results were pretty much ready by 11 o’clock that night. It was a pretty good result all round. We have not had one complaint from a member of the public. Hon Bruce Donaldson : What do you think of the 19-year-old elected in the Kalgoorlie-Boulder council? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : That has got to be a good thing. Hon Bruce Donaldson : It is.
(4) Has the minister been advised of the number of eligible electors in areas which used first-past-the-post as the vote-counting procedure and which had done so since 1995? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: I thank the member for the question without notice. (1)-(4) First of all, I have to say that any issues in relation to the count itself - I have heard a few complaints - were to do with the conduct of the count by the Western Australian Electoral Commission. Therefore, the complaints that I have heard are really the responsibility of the Western Australian Electoral Commission rather than the Department of Local Government and Regional Development. I know that the Western Australian Local Government Association is also reviewing the election outcomes with a view to ensuring that anything that can be avoided in future will be taken up with the Electoral Commission. In relation to voter turnout and the number of informal votes and the like, there is a range of preliminary indicators. Certainly, we had the highest number of electors and voters on record this time around. There was a total of 1 303 232 electors - Hon Bruce Donaldson : Eligible electors, not voters? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : Yes. We had 1 158 candidates. The male-female ratio was 29 to 31; the same as in 2005. There were 44 candidates for mayoral elections, which is the highest in the past three elections. The final turnout figure is not available from the Electoral Commission but it is estimated at just under 35 per cent. When I had a look at 2005, it was just under 35 per cent, so there is very little variation, and it was higher than the two years previously. That was an interesting indicator. The male-female ratio of elected members was 29 to 31, which is the same as in 2005. Eighteen elected candidates identified themselves as being Indigenous people, which is the highest number on record. Errors in only two wards were reported in a mail-out of over one million packages, with over 200 permutations of ballot papers. I understand that the software developed to count the votes using the new system was faultless. There was not an issue with the system and the Western Australian Electoral Commission is confident that the logistical issues causing these delays can be addressed. The informality rates available to date indicate one per cent votes informal, which is consistent with previous elections. I therefore must say that the election went very well and I must commend the Department of Local Government and Regional Development for the preparatory work it did with the councils in the lead-up to the election because it really went very smoothly. I was at a function that evening. Anything could have happened. The whole thing could have fallen into a heap and there could have been all sorts of problems. However, all the votes were in and counted, the count was concluded and the results were pretty much ready by 11 o’clock that night. It was a pretty good result all round. We have not had one complaint from a member of the public. Hon Bruce Donaldson : What do you think of the 19-year-old elected in the Kalgoorlie-Boulder council? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : That has got to be a good thing. Hon Bruce Donaldson : It is.
Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: I thank the member for the question without notice. (1)-(4) First of all, I have to say that any issues in relation to the count itself - I have heard a few complaints - were to do with the conduct of the count by the Western Australian Electoral Commission. Therefore, the complaints that I have heard are really the responsibility of the Western Australian Electoral Commission rather than the Department of Local Government and Regional Development. I know that the Western Australian Local Government Association is also reviewing the election outcomes with a view to ensuring that anything that can be avoided in future will be taken up with the Electoral Commission. In relation to voter turnout and the number of informal votes and the like, there is a range of preliminary indicators. Certainly, we had the highest number of electors and voters on record this time around. There was a total of 1 303 232 electors - Hon Bruce Donaldson : Eligible electors, not voters? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : Yes. We had 1 158 candidates. The male-female ratio was 29 to 31; the same as in 2005. There were 44 candidates for mayoral elections, which is the highest in the past three elections. The final turnout figure is not available from the Electoral Commission but it is estimated at just under 35 per cent. When I had a look at 2005, it was just under 35 per cent, so there is very little variation, and it was higher than the two years previously. That was an interesting indicator. The male-female ratio of elected members was 29 to 31, which is the same as in 2005. Eighteen elected candidates identified themselves as being Indigenous people, which is the highest number on record. Errors in only two wards were reported in a mail-out of over one million packages, with over 200 permutations of ballot papers. I understand that the software developed to count the votes using the new system was faultless. There was not an issue with the system and the Western Australian Electoral Commission is confident that the logistical issues causing these delays can be addressed. The informality rates available to date indicate one per cent votes informal, which is consistent with previous elections. I therefore must say that the election went very well and I must commend the Department of Local Government and Regional Development for the preparatory work it did with the councils in the lead-up to the election because it really went very smoothly. I was at a function that evening. Anything could have happened. The whole thing could have fallen into a heap and there could have been all sorts of problems. However, all the votes were in and counted, the count was concluded and the results were pretty much ready by 11 o’clock that night. It was a pretty good result all round. We have not had one complaint from a member of the public. Hon Bruce Donaldson : What do you think of the 19-year-old elected in the Kalgoorlie-Boulder council? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : That has got to be a good thing. Hon Bruce Donaldson : It is.
I thank the member for the question without notice. (1)-(4) First of all, I have to say that any issues in relation to the count itself - I have heard a few complaints - were to do with the conduct of the count by the Western Australian Electoral Commission. Therefore, the complaints that I have heard are really the responsibility of the Western Australian Electoral Commission rather than the Department of Local Government and Regional Development. I know that the Western Australian Local Government Association is also reviewing the election outcomes with a view to ensuring that anything that can be avoided in future will be taken up with the Electoral Commission. In relation to voter turnout and the number of informal votes and the like, there is a range of preliminary indicators. Certainly, we had the highest number of electors and voters on record this time around. There was a total of 1 303 232 electors - Hon Bruce Donaldson : Eligible electors, not voters? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : Yes. We had 1 158 candidates. The male-female ratio was 29 to 31; the same as in 2005. There were 44 candidates for mayoral elections, which is the highest in the past three elections. The final turnout figure is not available from the Electoral Commission but it is estimated at just under 35 per cent. When I had a look at 2005, it was just under 35 per cent, so there is very little variation, and it was higher than the two years previously. That was an interesting indicator. The male-female ratio of elected members was 29 to 31, which is the same as in 2005. Eighteen elected candidates identified themselves as being Indigenous people, which is the highest number on record. Errors in only two wards were reported in a mail-out of over one million packages, with over 200 permutations of ballot papers. I understand that the software developed to count the votes using the new system was faultless. There was not an issue with the system and the Western Australian Electoral Commission is confident that the logistical issues causing these delays can be addressed. The informality rates available to date indicate one per cent votes informal, which is consistent with previous elections. I therefore must say that the election went very well and I must commend the Department of Local Government and Regional Development for the preparatory work it did with the councils in the lead-up to the election because it really went very smoothly. I was at a function that evening. Anything could have happened. The whole thing could have fallen into a heap and there could have been all sorts of problems. However, all the votes were in and counted, the count was concluded and the results were pretty much ready by 11 o’clock that night. It was a pretty good result all round. We have not had one complaint from a member of the public. Hon Bruce Donaldson : What do you think of the 19-year-old elected in the Kalgoorlie-Boulder council? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : That has got to be a good thing. Hon Bruce Donaldson : It is.
(1)-(4) First of all, I have to say that any issues in relation to the count itself - I have heard a few complaints - were to do with the conduct of the count by the Western Australian Electoral Commission. Therefore, the complaints that I have heard are really the responsibility of the Western Australian Electoral Commission rather than the Department of Local Government and Regional Development. I know that the Western Australian Local Government Association is also reviewing the election outcomes with a view to ensuring that anything that can be avoided in future will be taken up with the Electoral Commission. In relation to voter turnout and the number of informal votes and the like, there is a range of preliminary indicators. Certainly, we had the highest number of electors and voters on record this time around. There was a total of 1 303 232 electors - Hon Bruce Donaldson : Eligible electors, not voters? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : Yes. We had 1 158 candidates. The male-female ratio was 29 to 31; the same as in 2005. There were 44 candidates for mayoral elections, which is the highest in the past three elections. The final turnout figure is not available from the Electoral Commission but it is estimated at just under 35 per cent. When I had a look at 2005, it was just under 35 per cent, so there is very little variation, and it was higher than the two years previously. That was an interesting indicator. The male-female ratio of elected members was 29 to 31, which is the same as in 2005. Eighteen elected candidates identified themselves as being Indigenous people, which is the highest number on record. Errors in only two wards were reported in a mail-out of over one million packages, with over 200 permutations of ballot papers. I understand that the software developed to count the votes using the new system was faultless. There was not an issue with the system and the Western Australian Electoral Commission is confident that the logistical issues causing these delays can be addressed. The informality rates available to date indicate one per cent votes informal, which is consistent with previous elections. I therefore must say that the election went very well and I must commend the Department of Local Government and Regional Development for the preparatory work it did with the councils in the lead-up to the election because it really went very smoothly. I was at a function that evening. Anything could have happened. The whole thing could have fallen into a heap and there could have been all sorts of problems. However, all the votes were in and counted, the count was concluded and the results were pretty much ready by 11 o’clock that night. It was a pretty good result all round. We have not had one complaint from a member of the public. Hon Bruce Donaldson : What do you think of the 19-year-old elected in the Kalgoorlie-Boulder council? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : That has got to be a good thing. Hon Bruce Donaldson : It is.
Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : Yes. We had 1 158 candidates. The male-female ratio was 29 to 31; the same as in 2005. There were 44 candidates for mayoral elections, which is the highest in the past three elections. The final turnout figure is not available from the Electoral Commission but it is estimated at just under 35 per cent. When I had a look at 2005, it was just under 35 per cent, so there is very little variation, and it was higher than the two years previously. That was an interesting indicator. The male-female ratio of elected members was 29 to 31, which is the same as in 2005. Eighteen elected candidates identified themselves as being Indigenous people, which is the highest number on record. Errors in only two wards were reported in a mail-out of over one million packages, with over 200 permutations of ballot papers. I understand that the software developed to count the votes using the new system was faultless. There was not an issue with the system and the Western Australian Electoral Commission is confident that the logistical issues causing these delays can be addressed. The informality rates available to date indicate one per cent votes informal, which is consistent with previous elections. I therefore must say that the election went very well and I must commend the Department of Local Government and Regional Development for the preparatory work it did with the councils in the lead-up to the election because it really went very smoothly. I was at a function that evening. Anything could have happened. The whole thing could have fallen into a heap and there could have been all sorts of problems. However, all the votes were in and counted, the count was concluded and the results were pretty much ready by 11 o’clock that night. It was a pretty good result all round. We have not had one complaint from a member of the public. Hon Bruce Donaldson : What do you think of the 19-year-old elected in the Kalgoorlie-Boulder council? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : That has got to be a good thing. Hon Bruce Donaldson : It is.
Hon Bruce Donaldson : What do you think of the 19-year-old elected in the Kalgoorlie-Boulder council? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : That has got to be a good thing. Hon Bruce Donaldson : It is.
Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : That has got to be a good thing. Hon Bruce Donaldson : It is.
Hon Bruce Donaldson : It is.
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