Voting kicks off in North

Pre-poll begins in Herbert, Dawson

THE first morning of pre-polling wasn’t easy for Townsville voters, with technical issues at one centre and minimal parking at the other.

Exit polling from the Townsville Bulletin revealed strong support for the LNP, with few voters casting their vote for minor parties or independents.

More than a thousand voters who streamed through the Kirwan early voting centre on Monday morning struggled to find a park, with some having to trudge through long grass to line up.

The vast majority of voters the Bulletin spoke to had cast their vote with the LNP.

From the Bulletin’s small snapshot of voters, its results showed there was a focus on the major parties – the LNP and Labor.

Early-bird voters who attempted to submit their ballot first thing in Townsville’s CBD found themselves stymied by technical troubles and wait times.

Mark Gregory of Kirwan said he was looking for a MP who would help fix issues that affect people every day, including cost of living, interest rates, and housing.

“Everything that affects us, and coming out our pocket,” Mr Gregory said.

He said recently the government had put a dent in some of these issues.

Mr Gregory said there was more work to be done on the environment but it would take time.

A scheduled 8.30am start to polling on Stokes St was held up by IT issues, with more than a few voters deciding to try their luck later in the day.

Despite the early drama, strong numbers began to flow through the 21 Precinct building, with the only other deterrent being light rain.

In the Burdekin, which falls in the electorate of Dawson, voters headed to the Burdekin Sports Club to get ahead of the federal election.

Both Herbert and Dawson are held by the LNP.

While Dawson is considered to be a safe seat for the LNP, the numbers suggest that the election may be closer than expected in the electorate.

The Burdekin exit poll revealed more people voted for the LNP but the ALP was still holding on to a large portion of the vote.

The minor parties only received about five votes between them.

The majority of voters who have attended the Burdekin Sports Club have been over the ages of 65, so it will be interesting to see who young people in the Burdekin plan on voting for.

The electorate of Dawson extends from the southern suburbs of Mackay to the southern suburbs of Townsville.

Since its inception in 1897, Labor has only held the seat twice – between 1966 and 1975, and 2007 and 2010.