Page 49 - Conducting Elections during COVID-19

AUSTRALIA - QUEENSLAND 31

• Where available, hand sanitiser will be provided for voters and polling officials at early
voting centres and polling booths.
• Additional cleaning of polling booth areas will be undertaken to ensure that hard
surfaces are regularly disinfected.
• All people in polling booths should follow social distancing guidelines including
maintaining distances of 1.5 metres where possible and avoiding handshakes. The
ECQ has written to candidates encouraging them to support these measures while
handing out how-to-vote cards and other election materials.

• Voters are encouraged to bring their own pen or pencil with them to vote, although
pencils will still be available to all voters.

• Early voting will be open from Monday 16 March until Friday 27 March. Voters are
encouraged to vote during the early voting period at a time convenient to them, where
possible outside of peak periods. Voters should note that numbers are usually higher
at lunch time or the end of the day.

• Early voting centres are generally open from 9am to 5pm during the first week of early
voting, and from 9am to 6pm during the second week. ECQ has extended voting hours
at most early voting centres between 9am and 9pm on Wednesday and Thursday this
week and next week, and on Saturday 21 March between 9am and 5pm.

• Polling officials will be monitoring the number of people in attendance at polling booths
to make sure there are fewer than 100 people present at any one time. This has been
revised down from 500 following the decision of the National Cabinet.
• Additional measures such as queue control will be put in place where voters will need
to wait to enter booths.
• Vote issuing tables and polling screens will be positioned to maximise distance
between all people in attendance, based on the space constraints of the polling booths.

• ECQ will be employing additional staff to assist with managing queues and to help
people cast their vote in the most efficient manner. This includes ensuring that high risk
members of the public, such as elderly people, receive additional assistance.

Voters can play their part during the elections by:

✓ Practicing good hand and respiratory hygiene
✓ Social distancing
✓ Bringing your Voter Information Card with you to help mark you off the roll more quickly
✓ Voting before election day at an early voting centre

✓ Bringing your own pen or pencil

If you need more information relating to the 2020 elections, please contact ECQ on 1300 881 665 or
by emailing ecq@ecq.qld.gov.au.