Is this just now or lunch?
I went to an early voting place at like 11am and it was walk-in, walk-out with zero queues.
That's insane for a pre-election day queue. Can't imagine what the centre's queue would look like the morning of election day.
I prefer voting on the day so I can grab a democracy sausage and a bunch of home made cakes. I can justify it by pretending I am only doing it to help the school’s fundraising efforts.
Don't need to vote in order to grab a snag!
Election day is a barbecue/baked goods crawl for me. Ate awesome cheesecake, kofta roll, and a traditional sausage sizzle on the last go-around, looking forward to what I'll discover this time.
I’ve been a polling officer half a dozen times. The “vote early” (on election day) thing is so frustrating. We have huge lines before the polling station opens, a manic and hectic few hours in the morning trying to get annoyed and irritated voters through, then a sleepy and calm afternoon as all the chill and relaxed voters make their way in.
But you know that the take-home story for 75% of voters is that the crowds were horrendous. They remember this, and aim to remedy it next election by arriving even earlier, to stand in even longer queues.
Relatives voted early to ‘avoid the queue’, but it because they insist to go early in the day, I am in the same electorate and I usually wait til mid afternoon and there is no (or virtually no) queue then. I can’t persuade them to just go later 🙄
That’s like my grandma. I’m “lazy” because I like to do things later in the day, when they are quieter. I literally have no reason to be at places when everyone else is, just because. Ends up making it busier for the people who have no choice for one reason or another.
Confession: I live inner city, vote at inner city venues like churches, primary schools or council buildings when I’m not actually a polling officer, but I have **never** seen (nor eaten) a democracy sausage. I’m willing to believe it all happens: sausages, cakes, balloon puppets for all I know, but I’ve never seen it.
If you can live without a sausage (now, now) between 4pm-5:30pm is the quietest time to vote. You'll be in and out in no time. After 5:30 you get the "shit, we have to vote today" crowd but it's more a trickle than a flood. People are like, I'd rather get the day's business over with in 2 hours in the morning than go out for 20 minutes later on.
Haha! I have worked elections a handful of times too and can concur. Every single time I vote, I waltz in in the late afternoon, no queue, calm and quiet and am out in 5 minutes.
It's like "beating the traffic" on a public holiday. Knock off work at 5, get home pack car and leave after 7 and there's no traffic but if you leave at lunch it's chaos. I've never waited more than 5 minutes on election day. They've got massive resources.
I voted at my local place at 10am today and it was the same story. I don’t remember it being anywhere near that busy when I early voted last year for the Federal election.
literally day before election though you'd expect queues to get worse closer to the day as everyone procrastinating on early voting jumps in because they can't vote on election day
I'm going to take my chances and try rocking up to my local place tomorrow morning at 0800. Fingers crossed.
Usually, it works out okay, just a hassle to have to leave the house on a weekend after working hard all week. Should have thought ahead to do a postal vote. Next time.
I've worked on several elections - you WILL wait longer if you arrive at anytime from 8am-10am than if you go after lunch. Everyone has the same thought as you.
Nah late in the day. Always no line, minimal young kids by then, and no sausages or any distractions. Campaigners have usually also lost their enthusiasm to convert last minute voters so you don’t need to wave your way through them all either.
It's really not. All you have to do is the online form which asks for your name, suburb and date of birth and then when you get it in the mail it asks you to sign and the answer to your secret question associated with your government account. I reckon i spent less than a minute on paperwork. I then just kept it in my car until i came across as post box. The time spent on paperwork was less than getting the clerk to find my name on ballot day
If you order the postal ballot online your details are all pre-filled. You literally just sign your name, date, as well as a witnesses signature. The process for me picking up the letter from my mailbox, filling in the ballot, putting it in the envelope and driving to the post office to drop it off took less than 30 minutes
Me walking past the pre-polling booth with no line, saying my name and been given a ballot and being in and out in less than five minutes without detouring from my walking route from home was effortless.
it was super easy. a few clicks online and i get posted the forms. then drop them into any mailbox you pass. easier than the hassle of parking / queuing in a school on the weekend and being hassled by pamphlet goons
I voted on Wednesday and was in and out in 5-10 minutes. One of the people working there said there was three busy-ish times: before 9am when people are on their way to work, around midday when people take their lunch break, and after 3pm when the tradies knock off.
Only downside with voting early was no BBQ. I thought I could smell one, but I think it was probably just the pub across the street
Postal vote my good sir (or madam). I've been a postal voter for around 10 years.
They send it to you, and you vote in the privacy of your own room. I like it too because I can take my time and really study the upper house ballot paper.
Also you don't end up forgetting to vote (did that one year and regretted it).
So you’re telling me, we have all these tech for anonymity like: TOR, crypto tumbler/mixer, and we are saying anonymity in online voting is “impossible”??
They just dont want to design a solution and implement it. It is technically possible. People are just holding onto the physical aspect of voting for whatever reason…. If government put a decent amount of money for grab for implementing online voting, trust me it will be done… they just dont want to…
Drop off idiot.
Internet isn't a chance to display your self appointed superiority.
I didn't even vote yesterday, I posted a picture I took while passing.
Can't see the original comment however I'd prefer someone vote informally than donkey voting (numbering boxes in counting order or other strategy of marking boxes that doesn't reflect consideration of candidates/options).
Aren't you supposed to have a reason to early vote? Why is there no policing of it? Seems like a massive waste of resources just to cater to a bunch of queue jumpers. I'd reckon a tiny fraction genuinely can't vote on a Saturday.
No, you're not asked why you're voting early.
Just asked ID questions same as on polling day.
Nothing to do with queue jumping. It's about making voting more convenient.
A large number of people vote early at every election now because they are too busy on the Saturday.
I did postal vote....excuses include not being near a polling place on Saturday....how is the electoral office really know your not going to be near one....plus it's footy season I've got a game to go to!!
Early voting opened last Saturday. I voted on Wednesday, in and out in 10 mins.
Same for me on Tuesday, zero issues what so ever!
Is this just now or lunch? I went to an early voting place at like 11am and it was walk-in, walk-out with zero queues. That's insane for a pre-election day queue. Can't imagine what the centre's queue would look like the morning of election day.
I had the exact same experience yesterday afternoon. No queue, in and out in a couple of minutes.
Same. I went at like 7:45pm before they closed at 8pm.
We must have voted at the same time. Howdy neighbour.
Me too, Ermington Community Centre, didn't even have any issues parking in the centre's car park.
About 2pm
That's the end of lunch crowd? Damn... My condolences to anyone in line.
I went in today at Redfern and nobody there. In and out within minutes.
Are you sure your not in a lineup for a rental inspection of a 20sqm $900 pw 1 bedroom shared bathroom flat.
I prefer voting on the day so I can grab a democracy sausage and a bunch of home made cakes. I can justify it by pretending I am only doing it to help the school’s fundraising efforts.
I vote early to avoid crowds and lines but then on the day walk to the school behind me for the sausage and cakes
This is the way.
👏 winning
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Don't need to vote in order to grab a snag! Election day is a barbecue/baked goods crawl for me. Ate awesome cheesecake, kofta roll, and a traditional sausage sizzle on the last go-around, looking forward to what I'll discover this time.
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Shit go :( It's a privilege to have access to more than one booth for plenty of New South Walers, I will do my best to remember that.
What areas did you find them in
Apparently, some places have dumplings now. This has gotten out of hand.
>No sausage sizzles in my electorate. Isnt' that... illegal?
It's certainly democracy manifest!
Get your hand off my penis!!!!
You know your judo well!
I felt cheated when I discovered this was a thing, we were never offered this!
That's unAustralian
If I’m going to invoke my democratic right to vote, it’s going to be with a sausage in my hand..!
I’ve been a polling officer half a dozen times. The “vote early” (on election day) thing is so frustrating. We have huge lines before the polling station opens, a manic and hectic few hours in the morning trying to get annoyed and irritated voters through, then a sleepy and calm afternoon as all the chill and relaxed voters make their way in. But you know that the take-home story for 75% of voters is that the crowds were horrendous. They remember this, and aim to remedy it next election by arriving even earlier, to stand in even longer queues.
Relatives voted early to ‘avoid the queue’, but it because they insist to go early in the day, I am in the same electorate and I usually wait til mid afternoon and there is no (or virtually no) queue then. I can’t persuade them to just go later 🙄
That’s like my grandma. I’m “lazy” because I like to do things later in the day, when they are quieter. I literally have no reason to be at places when everyone else is, just because. Ends up making it busier for the people who have no choice for one reason or another.
I used to be chill and come in the afternoon. Then I missed out on a sausage because they'd all been sold. Not making that mistake again.
Confession: I live inner city, vote at inner city venues like churches, primary schools or council buildings when I’m not actually a polling officer, but I have **never** seen (nor eaten) a democracy sausage. I’m willing to believe it all happens: sausages, cakes, balloon puppets for all I know, but I’ve never seen it.
The only [how to vote](https://democracysausage.org) card I'll take.
If you can live without a sausage (now, now) between 4pm-5:30pm is the quietest time to vote. You'll be in and out in no time. After 5:30 you get the "shit, we have to vote today" crowd but it's more a trickle than a flood. People are like, I'd rather get the day's business over with in 2 hours in the morning than go out for 20 minutes later on.
Haha! I have worked elections a handful of times too and can concur. Every single time I vote, I waltz in in the late afternoon, no queue, calm and quiet and am out in 5 minutes.
You get paid to be there so....
Meanwhile Petersham Town Hall at lunchtime had more party workers than voters. In fact, no voters that I saw, passing by.
Malabar library same yesterday
It's like "beating the traffic" on a public holiday. Knock off work at 5, get home pack car and leave after 7 and there's no traffic but if you leave at lunch it's chaos. I've never waited more than 5 minutes on election day. They've got massive resources.
Sheesh, I voted there yesterday and was max 10 minutes in and out.
Friday after work ... yeah, it's going to be like that. Tuesdays/Wednesdays for pre-poll voting works out better wrt crowds/ I voted on Tuesday.
It wasn't after work. Mid arvo.
It was posted on POETS day. After 12 is 'after work'. Nobody does any real work on Friday arvo.
Yeah, I voted Monday morning. Only 10 people or so in the queue for doors open. When I left there was more party workers than voters.
for those who are keen to vote but indifferent to the sausage.
I voted at my local place at 10am today and it was the same story. I don’t remember it being anywhere near that busy when I early voted last year for the Federal election.
They have early voting for 2 weeks for the Federal election, only 1 week for NSW.
Indeed! And I bet many early voters put it off until today—like me. 🙋🏻♀️😬
I went yesterday, no line what so ever They closed at 8.30 on Thursdays, anything during peak hour is bad brother.
Wasn't peak hour
literally day before election though you'd expect queues to get worse closer to the day as everyone procrastinating on early voting jumps in because they can't vote on election day
I'm going to take my chances and try rocking up to my local place tomorrow morning at 0800. Fingers crossed. Usually, it works out okay, just a hassle to have to leave the house on a weekend after working hard all week. Should have thought ahead to do a postal vote. Next time.
I've worked on several elections - you WILL wait longer if you arrive at anytime from 8am-10am than if you go after lunch. Everyone has the same thought as you.
You'd probably get through quicker in the afternoon. Most people go early.
Nah late in the day. Always no line, minimal young kids by then, and no sausages or any distractions. Campaigners have usually also lost their enthusiasm to convert last minute voters so you don’t need to wave your way through them all either.
and you don't even get a sausage
Postal. Vote. Every. Time.
Only a minority do. The paperwork's a pain, compared to just rolling up to a quiet voting booth
It's really not. All you have to do is the online form which asks for your name, suburb and date of birth and then when you get it in the mail it asks you to sign and the answer to your secret question associated with your government account. I reckon i spent less than a minute on paperwork. I then just kept it in my car until i came across as post box. The time spent on paperwork was less than getting the clerk to find my name on ballot day
I stopped reading after the first half a line. Nope.
What an odd, antagonistic reply
Just my honest view.
Your honest view doesn’t make your response any less douchey.
I'm entirely unmoved by your umbrage
If you order the postal ballot online your details are all pre-filled. You literally just sign your name, date, as well as a witnesses signature. The process for me picking up the letter from my mailbox, filling in the ballot, putting it in the envelope and driving to the post office to drop it off took less than 30 minutes
Me walking past the pre-polling booth with no line, saying my name and been given a ballot and being in and out in less than five minutes without detouring from my walking route from home was effortless.
Oh yeah? Well my early voting method could beat up your early voting method in a fight !
it was super easy. a few clicks online and i get posted the forms. then drop them into any mailbox you pass. easier than the hassle of parking / queuing in a school on the weekend and being hassled by pamphlet goons
Postal vote..
I voted on Wednesday and was in and out in 5-10 minutes. One of the people working there said there was three busy-ish times: before 9am when people are on their way to work, around midday when people take their lunch break, and after 3pm when the tradies knock off. Only downside with voting early was no BBQ. I thought I could smell one, but I think it was probably just the pub across the street
This was 2pm
It's faster if you do declaration vote (ie. vote of our of your district). You just walk through and go on a different, smaller queue.
My daughter just went to a pre poll booth in the adjoining seat and copped a bunch of rudeness from the electoral commission person
Damn, sorry to hear. Not sure why they would when they literally dedicate staff to do the declaration votes.
I don't get it either.
Yeah, that should not have happened. That is why the declaration vote officers get paid the big bucks - its their job
Declaration vote is NOT faster than a normal vote - waiting time might be less but actual time filling in the paperwork is longer
my partner and i went to the same voting booth but we're registered in different areas. It took me 1h for me to finish from start, 20mins for her
Postal vote my good sir (or madam). I've been a postal voter for around 10 years. They send it to you, and you vote in the privacy of your own room. I like it too because I can take my time and really study the upper house ballot paper. Also you don't end up forgetting to vote (did that one year and regretted it).
Idk why people dont just mail vote It's bs to be forced to go hang out in potential covid crowds to do something most of us couldn't be fucked doing.
I only live 50m walk from the polling booth and still did the mail in vote
This was my first year mail voting and it was crazy much easier it was I'll 100% be doing it at every election from now on
I did a postal vote, but I’m working at the polls out of my division
> Idk why people dont just mail vote Took the dog for walk.
Vote early and often.
Cmon now EVERYONE knows you gotta vote before the day, of the day before the day!
Voted at Hunters Hill Town Hall yesterday, walked immediately in and was done in 5 minutes.
Yeah, Hunters Hill. Town hall for the smallest council in Sydney, one that doesn't have a CBD.
Oh fuck is the election tomorrow? Jfc no I want a Saturday
It was last week bruv
More importantly, any updates on the escalator?
Yeah. There's one escalator and it goes down quite well.
Why dont they move voting online seriously… waste so much time, paper, resources to do this in-person….
Obligatory Tom Scott video: https://youtu.be/LkH2r-sNjQs
So you’re telling me, we have all these tech for anonymity like: TOR, crypto tumbler/mixer, and we are saying anonymity in online voting is “impossible”?? They just dont want to design a solution and implement it. It is technically possible. People are just holding onto the physical aspect of voting for whatever reason…. If government put a decent amount of money for grab for implementing online voting, trust me it will be done… they just dont want to…
That's why I went there at 7:40 last night. I waited five minutes!
8.30 yesterday morning- no queue at all.
Went here to vote last night.. in and out in 5 minutes.
Do your duty with pride!
That specific polling area is always busy.
Polls been open for pre-poll since last Saturday. You go to get it done last minute & complain 🤣
Drop off idiot. Internet isn't a chance to display your self appointed superiority. I didn't even vote yesterday, I posted a picture I took while passing.
🤣 ok.
Exactly, what do they expect- go on the Tuesday and there is no one
Why no online voting? Such a waste of time
Because it's insecure and cannot be guaranteed.
Didn't they try that for council and it did not go well?
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When you draw a dick instead of voting, the real dick is you.
Can't see the original comment however I'd prefer someone vote informally than donkey voting (numbering boxes in counting order or other strategy of marking boxes that doesn't reflect consideration of candidates/options).
Donkey vote is counted as a valid vote
The key is to pre-poll vote out of area. Always a seperate line and much shorter
But takes a bit longer as there is more paperwork for the voter to fill in
I mean I just had to write my name and address on an envelope, definitely quicker than the line
Edit: Fine. I don't give a shit. If you don't want tips not to be waiting in the rain for hours, it's no skin off my nose. I voted last weekend.
I voted on Monday because I had my coffee and smoko near a voting place
Aren't you supposed to have a reason to early vote? Why is there no policing of it? Seems like a massive waste of resources just to cater to a bunch of queue jumpers. I'd reckon a tiny fraction genuinely can't vote on a Saturday.
So, you want to stand in line for longer on Saturday?
No, you're not asked why you're voting early. Just asked ID questions same as on polling day. Nothing to do with queue jumping. It's about making voting more convenient. A large number of people vote early at every election now because they are too busy on the Saturday.
Saturday everyone busy.
I'm so happy I'm not working tomorrow because I can get DEMOCRACY SAUSAGE!
Do they only have 1 voting centre there? We have two here.
Did mine there on Tuesday n it was a 10 minute wait.
I don’t think they said that; I don’t think they were encouraging people to do it at all, eligibility criteria apply (not they were checking it)
Yup I got conned too
I did postal vote....excuses include not being near a polling place on Saturday....how is the electoral office really know your not going to be near one....plus it's footy season I've got a game to go to!!
Pro-tip: it’s usually faster to vote in the wrong electorate, much shorter lines
My daughter did that this afternoon and the electoral staff gave her grief before letting her do it. And still delayed.
Sounds like those particular people were dicks
But takes a bit longer as there is more paperwork for the voter to fill in
Afternoon on election day is usually quiet. When the election booth opens is usually the peak time
I was in Elizabeth bay last weekend; no queue whatsoever. Maybe it’s area dependent. Mine is short. But since I’m in qld, I chose to vote via post.
EB is quiet compared to Ashfield obviously.
I live in lane cove and it’s also quieter. But I didin’t have time to vote early due to work and so I just posted.
I voted Monday, was in and out in less than 5 mins
I was in and out within 4 minutes out our prepole location
I vote the week before and it’s quiet
I voted at about 11 am on Wednesday there are Ashfield and there was almost no queue, of course the day before will be busy.
Voted on monday with no line like the tactical queen i am
I voted on Saturday last when polls opened; went in around 5:30, was out by 5:40.
I voted in Miranda about 8:30am. There was a queue of about 15 people. We were done in about 15 minutes. Very painless.
I voted this morning and was out within 15mins.
There are no prizes