VOTING is over in the Bass Coast and South Gippsland shire council elections but there were still a lot of votes outstanding when the last day, Friday, October 25, rolled around.

In Bass Coast between 67% and 61% of eligible voters had voted in each of the three wards by Friday morning, while in South Gippsland the number was between 68% and 75% who’d voted by the close of voting on Friday night in each of the wards there.

So, there are likely to be a lot of votes still to arrive by post in the next week.

In 2021, for example, the turnout in South Gippsland’s Coastal Promontory was 77.85%, in Strzelecki it was 82.51% and Tarwin Valley 83.53%.

In 2020, the turnout in Bass Coast’s Bunurong ward was 83.48%, Island 80.65% and Western Port 80.53%.

Victorian Electoral Commission staff said Friday had been a busy day at the Old Post Office in Wonthaggi as voters took their final opportunity to vote in person or to drop off their completed envelopes.

Among the last to vote was Hemant Kumar of Wonthaggi.

He didn’t say why he was voting so late on the last day, but others making a final rush included a Phillip Island resident, driving across to Wonthaggi to make sure her vote counted, a Wonthaggi couple who’d had a change of address and didn’t get their voting papers, and two others who didn’t care about voting, just wanting to get their names ticked off to avoid a $99 fine.

It was an equally busy day at the electoral office in Smith Street Leongatha.

Candidate in the South Gippsland election, Jim Forbes of Poowong, said he believed the results were hard to predict.

“There are a couple of standout candidates you’d expect to see easily re-elected in South Gippsland, but it’s by no means clear what the make up of the council will be,” Mr Forbes said.

“But what is clear is that there’s been a change in what people think is important. Going around to community events and talking to people over the past four weeks, no one is talking about climate change or indigenous issues anymore. It’s all about the cost of living and what councils are spending our rates money on.

“It’s the same over in Bass Coast.”

Across Victoria, ballot packs were mailed to over 4.4 million voters from Monday, October 7 and the Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC) had received 61.33% back at close of business on Thursday, with voting closing at 6pm on Friday. While electorate offices can no longer receive votes directly, those mailed by 6pm on Friday can be accepted until 12noon on Friday, November 1 which accounts for the much of the delay in publishing results.

The overall statewide turnout rate in 2020 was 81.47%, with the final turnout for 2024 not known until after the close of the postal vote receipt period on November 1.

Electoral Commissioner Sven Bluemmel says that although some issues had been raised regarding the non-receipt of ballot packs and changes of addresses, the VEC worked closely with Australia Post to deliver over 100,000 replacement ballot packs, many of which were to alternative addresses since the close of roll.

Locally, while some people reported needing to contact the VEC to get replacement ballots, electoral staff in South Gippsland and Bass Coast reported that numbers were low.

Extraction of ballot papers from envelopes started on Saturday in some council elections, with counting commencing as early as Monday.

Locally, the final results in Bass Coast and South Gippsland will not be officially declared until Thursday, November 7 but preliminary results are expected as early as Wednesday, October 30.

According to vote counting arrangements advised to candidates by the VEC, a first preference votes’ report for each ward will be sent out after the Group A data entry is completed. Group A votes come from the ballot paper envelopes received by the close of voting at 6pm on Friday, October 25.

Indicative first preference results are expected to be available after data entry at the following times:

In Bass Coast

· Bunurong Wednesday morning, October 30

· Island ward Thursday morning, October 31, and

· Western Port Friday morning, November 1

In South Gippsland

· Coastal Promontory Tuesday afternoon, October 29

· Strzelecki Wednesday morning, October 30 and

· Tarwin Valley, Thursday morning, October 31.