UPDATE:
The NSW Electoral Commission has confirmed that there was a total of of five electors that voted at pre-poll prior to the problem being fixed.
Less than 20 potentially effected postal voters have been sent the incorrect ballot papers.
All returned postal votes are kept unopened until 6pm on election night. Each of the affected electors will be sent new ballot papers, giving them the opportunity to complete and return them for inclusion in the count in place of the incorrect ballot papers.
All certified lists have been corrected and distributed for pre-poll, postal and election day voting.
EARLIER:
An administrative error at the NSW Electoral Commission has seen a group of Sutherland Council electors voting in the wrong ward.
The electoral roll was used to identify and mark electors off at pre-poll venues for D ward when they are actually enrolled in E ward – 617 electors are affected by this error.
But not all have voted at pre-poll.
The NSW Electoral Commission is trying to ascertain how many have voted in the wrong ward.
Pre-poll opened 8am Monday and the error was found out by late in the day.
A NSW Electoral Commission spokesman said they had been incorrectly placed on the certified lists.
“Th corrected roll will be in place at all venues for tomorrow’s pre-poll voting,’’ he said.
“In the meantime, a list of the affected electors is now at all pre-poll venues to ensure that no affected electors are given ballot papers for the wrong ward.
“The corrected electoral rolls will be in use in polling places on election day.
“Unfortunately, any electors who have already voted will not be able to vote again.
“The NSW Electoral Commission apologises for the confusion this error has caused. Internal processes will be reviewed to avoid a reoccurrence of this issue.’’
He stressed this had nothing to do with the council but was an administrative error.
The error affects residents of The Crescent, Severn Road, Thorp Road, and part of Prince Edward Park Road, Woronora.
Norm Dixon, 86, of The Crescent, Woronora has always voted in E Ward but was told when he turned up at pre-poll that he had to vote in D Ward.
“I’m in E Ward. I’ve been here for 80 years. The map shows I’m in E Ward but the lady at pre- poll told be to vote in D Ward. We were told that we had to go by the computer software.”
Independent E Ward councillor Peter Towell said the mistake challenges the validity of the election.
“I have sent an email to the returning officer saying the voters have been misled.
“It’s actually a criminal offence to mislead a voter. Based on that the election is null.
“They make us register our all material and make us dot our i’s and cross our t’s to make sure we are not misleading the voter on our how-to-votes but they as the regulator can’t reciprocate the same quality.
“I don’t understand how it could ever happen.
“Now they have moved the goalposts they are still denying those residents their democratic right to vote for who they want to vote for to represent them.
“Considering I only got in by 13 votes last time this could affect the outcome of the election.
“In any election one vote counts and we have a situation where my supporters were unable to vote for me.
“I don’t know what the state government is doing with councils. It just seems like a half-hearted effort to make it more difficult for councillors.”
