With the federal election just a short while away, early voting centres open on Monday, May 9 ahead of the May 21 election date.
The Eden Monaro electorate, which covers the Yass Valley, and 41,617 square kilometres surrounding the ACT. The largest concentration of voters live in the Canberra overflow around Queanbeyan and Yass.
But the electorate also includes fishing, holiday and retirement towns of Merimbula, Narooma, and Bermagui on the NSW far south coast, and the agricultural and forestry districts around Bega and Eden. Away from the coast it also includes NSW snowfields as well as Batlow and Tumut to the north and west of the ACT.
In Yass early voting is available at St Clements Church Hall on Church Street. Opening hours are Monday May 9 – Friday, May 13 from 8:30am to 5:30pm. Saturday, May 14 from 9am to 4pm and Monday, May 16 to Thursday May 19 from 8:30am – 5:30pm. Friday May 20 from 8:30am to 6pm.
The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) will provide COVID safety measures with dedicated AEC hygiene officers who will be regularly sanitising surfaces and pencils at all AEC early voting centres. Social distancing will see equipment spaced out, markers and other signage providing guidance and queue controlling staff offering support to voters.
AEC staff will be wearing masks and other personal protective equipment as required. However, voters do not need to be vaccinated to attend a voting centre and campaign activities like handing out how-to-vote cards can occur, in line with local health directions.
On election day (May 21) the below voting centres will be available from – 8am to 6pm:
- Yass High School
- St Clements Church
- Yass Memorial Hall
- Bowning Community Hall
- Murrumbateman Recreation Grounds Hall
- Binalong Public School
- Gundaroo Public School
- Sutton Public School
