1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,680
Speaker 1: Now we've spoken about some of the questionable tactics and

2
00:00:02,720 --> 00:00:05,920
Speaker 1: the outright poor behavior that was seen during the local

3
00:00:05,960 --> 00:00:09,880
Speaker 1: council elections. Then yesterday I was sent images of how

4
00:00:09,920 --> 00:00:13,400
Speaker 1: to vote leaflets which had been changed to favor a

5
00:00:13,480 --> 00:00:17,400
Speaker 1: mayoral candidate who was not meant to sit as that

6
00:00:17,560 --> 00:00:21,680
Speaker 1: person's preferred preference. It's pretty dodgy stuff. Now joining me

7
00:00:21,760 --> 00:00:25,880
Speaker 1: on the line is the Northern Territory Electoral Commissioner, Kirsten Kelly.

8
00:00:25,920 --> 00:00:27,200
Speaker 1: Good morning to you, Commissioner.

9
00:00:27,680 --> 00:00:29,280
Speaker 2: Good morning Katie, Commissioner.

10
00:00:29,280 --> 00:00:33,040
Speaker 1: Has that incident been reported to you? Somebody doctoring those

11
00:00:33,120 --> 00:00:34,600
Speaker 1: how to vote leaflets?

12
00:00:35,080 --> 00:00:38,120
Speaker 2: So the Anti Electric Commission was made aware of the

13
00:00:38,200 --> 00:00:42,040
Speaker 2: matter regarding how to vote materials unofficially by candidate on

14
00:00:42,120 --> 00:00:45,120
Speaker 2: election day. So the advice provided to that candidate was

15
00:00:45,159 --> 00:00:47,519
Speaker 2: to submit in writing the details to the intext so

16
00:00:47,560 --> 00:00:50,519
Speaker 2: we could review that and that's consistent with the our

17
00:00:50,760 --> 00:00:54,360
Speaker 2: feedback and complaints process. So yesterday we had an informal

18
00:00:54,400 --> 00:00:57,120
Speaker 2: discussion with the candidate and again we've just asked for

19
00:00:57,160 --> 00:01:01,760
Speaker 2: the details to be put in writing because complaints there's

20
00:01:01,760 --> 00:01:03,840
Speaker 2: a requirement to establish the facts on the basis of

21
00:01:03,880 --> 00:01:07,319
Speaker 2: their allegations and provide supporting evidence so that we can

22
00:01:07,560 --> 00:01:11,240
Speaker 2: look into that, and if there's insufficient evidence provided, then

23
00:01:11,360 --> 00:01:14,040
Speaker 2: we can't make the inquiries until we have that information.

24
00:01:14,160 --> 00:01:16,679
Speaker 2: So we've asked that for that information to be provided.

25
00:01:16,800 --> 00:01:19,000
Speaker 1: Okay, so they have to they've got to provide that

26
00:01:19,120 --> 00:01:23,000
Speaker 1: written information and then you're able to go from there so.

27
00:01:22,959 --> 00:01:25,040
Speaker 2: We can start to look into the matter. So, in

28
00:01:25,080 --> 00:01:28,880
Speaker 2: regards to campaign material, a person commits an offense if

29
00:01:28,920 --> 00:01:32,280
Speaker 2: they intentionally engage in conduct and that conduct results in

30
00:01:32,319 --> 00:01:35,840
Speaker 2: the publication or distribution of campaign material, and that person

31
00:01:36,000 --> 00:01:38,160
Speaker 2: is reckless in that regard. So it's a matter we'll

32
00:01:38,200 --> 00:01:42,160
Speaker 2: certainly look into, but we do need that information with

33
00:01:42,200 --> 00:01:45,800
Speaker 2: evidence supporting fact type supporting the allegations being made.

34
00:01:45,920 --> 00:01:49,640
Speaker 1: What is like, what are the ramifications the potential ramifications

35
00:01:49,680 --> 00:01:52,040
Speaker 1: here if it is found that that you know this

36
00:01:52,160 --> 00:01:56,640
Speaker 1: person or this this person's team's done something dodgy.

37
00:01:55,840 --> 00:01:59,480
Speaker 2: So again it is an offensive. Someone publishes materials and

38
00:01:59,600 --> 00:02:03,279
Speaker 2: when they do there's no valid authorization or that hasn't

39
00:02:03,320 --> 00:02:06,680
Speaker 2: been valid. The person authorizing isn't the person it may

40
00:02:06,680 --> 00:02:09,399
Speaker 2: be seen to be be fraudulent or reckless, but there

41
00:02:09,480 --> 00:02:13,840
Speaker 2: needs to be investigations made or inquiries made to understand

42
00:02:13,919 --> 00:02:16,080
Speaker 2: the details when we actually see the facts of the matter.

43
00:02:16,639 --> 00:02:19,280
Speaker 1: Okay, So from this point on it sounds as though

44
00:02:19,320 --> 00:02:21,120
Speaker 1: waiting for the facts of the matter and then you'll

45
00:02:21,160 --> 00:02:24,320
Speaker 1: be able to go from there again like is there

46
00:02:24,320 --> 00:02:28,120
Speaker 1: a fine in place or what or is it then

47
00:02:28,240 --> 00:02:31,680
Speaker 1: like a court a legal issue if you know, if

48
00:02:31,720 --> 00:02:32,760
Speaker 1: all the evidence is there.

49
00:02:33,520 --> 00:02:35,880
Speaker 2: So there are those I mentioned nearly it is there

50
00:02:35,919 --> 00:02:39,360
Speaker 2: are offenses relating to a campaign material. So even offense

51
00:02:39,480 --> 00:02:42,120
Speaker 2: was established, there is a maximum penalty of one hundred

52
00:02:42,160 --> 00:02:45,679
Speaker 2: penalty units, which is around it currently about just under

53
00:02:45,760 --> 00:02:46,799
Speaker 2: nineteen thousand dollars.

54
00:02:46,880 --> 00:02:50,280
Speaker 1: Yeah, right, okay, Now, in terms of where things are

55
00:02:50,320 --> 00:02:53,800
Speaker 1: at the with the latest on the count, where are

56
00:02:53,840 --> 00:02:55,440
Speaker 1: we at, commissioner.

57
00:02:55,400 --> 00:02:57,760
Speaker 2: Yes, so we've got our thirteen day count period, so

58
00:02:57,760 --> 00:03:01,240
Speaker 2: there's been lots lots of count and rechecking of counts.

59
00:03:01,240 --> 00:03:04,400
Speaker 2: So just as an indication, there's been over one hundred

60
00:03:04,400 --> 00:03:07,120
Speaker 2: and twenty five that ballot papers have been counted, and

61
00:03:07,160 --> 00:03:09,600
Speaker 2: it's a lot higher than our number of our voting population.

62
00:03:09,720 --> 00:03:12,720
Speaker 2: That's because of the mayor ballot papers and the councilor

63
00:03:12,840 --> 00:03:15,919
Speaker 2: ballot papers for those elections. So all of those ballot

64
00:03:15,919 --> 00:03:19,520
Speaker 2: papers are manually looked at twice and then they're manually

65
00:03:19,560 --> 00:03:23,680
Speaker 2: looked at once and double verified manually through account system

66
00:03:23,720 --> 00:03:26,600
Speaker 2: for the multi vacancy. So there's a lot of counting

67
00:03:26,639 --> 00:03:28,840
Speaker 2: and checking that's done and that's important to make sure

68
00:03:29,080 --> 00:03:31,920
Speaker 2: that the results are accurate, and so we're continuing with that.

69
00:03:32,080 --> 00:03:36,680
Speaker 2: So today we've got around five seven hundred additional votes

70
00:03:37,000 --> 00:03:38,480
Speaker 2: likely to be added to the count, and they are

71
00:03:38,520 --> 00:03:41,840
Speaker 2: the absent votes. So an absent vote cast were a

72
00:03:41,880 --> 00:03:45,200
Speaker 2: person's outside their council that gets put in an envelope

73
00:03:45,200 --> 00:03:47,760
Speaker 2: and we exchange those between the Alice Springs and Dale

74
00:03:47,760 --> 00:03:50,280
Speaker 2: Screetness and yesterday and we'll start to see those numbers

75
00:03:50,280 --> 00:03:53,160
Speaker 2: being added to the count. We've had about three and

76
00:03:53,160 --> 00:03:56,240
Speaker 2: a half thousand postal votes returned and have been or

77
00:03:56,280 --> 00:03:59,000
Speaker 2: will be added to the count. So things are progressing well.

78
00:03:59,040 --> 00:04:01,480
Speaker 2: And all of the fresh greetiny or the recheck of

79
00:04:01,600 --> 00:04:05,520
Speaker 2: all of the mayoral physicians have occurred over the last

80
00:04:05,520 --> 00:04:07,600
Speaker 2: few days since the close of voting on election night.

81
00:04:07,720 --> 00:04:09,520
Speaker 1: All right, so when do we see I know you

82
00:04:09,560 --> 00:04:11,760
Speaker 1: mentioned this on Monday, but just remind our listeners, when

83
00:04:11,800 --> 00:04:15,400
Speaker 1: do we see those preferences and those you know, those

84
00:04:15,480 --> 00:04:16,760
Speaker 1: start to be sort of tallied.

85
00:04:17,160 --> 00:04:21,200
Speaker 2: Yeah, absolutely, So the actual quota that a candidate needs

86
00:04:21,240 --> 00:04:24,440
Speaker 2: to achieve to be elected is determined by the number

87
00:04:24,480 --> 00:04:28,320
Speaker 2: of formal votes. So for a single vacancy position like

88
00:04:29,000 --> 00:04:33,000
Speaker 2: a mayor, the total number of formal results counted divided

89
00:04:33,000 --> 00:04:35,159
Speaker 2: by two plus one is the quota that someone needs

90
00:04:35,160 --> 00:04:37,799
Speaker 2: to achieve to be elected. So there are a number

91
00:04:37,800 --> 00:04:40,680
Speaker 2: of elections there where there based on the current votes counted,

92
00:04:40,680 --> 00:04:43,360
Speaker 2: and there's still more votes to be counted. There's quite

93
00:04:43,400 --> 00:04:47,080
Speaker 2: a big difference between the highest candidate on first preferences

94
00:04:47,120 --> 00:04:49,160
Speaker 2: and the quota that needs to be achieved, noting there's

95
00:04:49,160 --> 00:04:51,720
Speaker 2: still a lot more ballot papers to be counted. So

96
00:04:51,760 --> 00:04:55,680
Speaker 2: the distribution of preferences takes place on Friday, the fifth

97
00:04:55,680 --> 00:04:58,560
Speaker 2: of September, and that can only occur after the deadline

98
00:04:58,600 --> 00:05:01,440
Speaker 2: for receipt of postal votes, So that's at twelve noon

99
00:05:01,480 --> 00:05:03,400
Speaker 2: on the fifth of September. So if anyone still got

100
00:05:03,400 --> 00:05:06,080
Speaker 2: their completed postal vote, please return it to the NTECH office.

101
00:05:06,080 --> 00:05:08,960
Speaker 2: We have to have received it by twelve noon. After

102
00:05:09,040 --> 00:05:11,960
Speaker 2: that we do final counts. After that we do the

103
00:05:12,040 --> 00:05:15,520
Speaker 2: mayor vacancies because they have to be completed first because

104
00:05:15,560 --> 00:05:18,279
Speaker 2: we have a number of candidates contesting two positions and

105
00:05:18,320 --> 00:05:21,400
Speaker 2: then following that, if any distributions of preferences required, that

106
00:05:21,440 --> 00:05:25,000
Speaker 2: process complete. So by Friday after noon or into the

107
00:05:25,040 --> 00:05:27,640
Speaker 2: evening on the fifth of September, the results will be known.

108
00:05:27,880 --> 00:05:30,960
Speaker 1: Okay, so not this Friday, next Friday for those out.

109
00:05:30,839 --> 00:05:34,680
Speaker 2: There listening, and absolutely every day we're doing a daily summary,

110
00:05:35,240 --> 00:05:38,320
Speaker 2: just providing an update on the ntech website on what's

111
00:05:38,320 --> 00:05:40,680
Speaker 2: happened through the counts during the day, what's been added,

112
00:05:40,839 --> 00:05:43,360
Speaker 2: and what's happening the next day. So that's a useful

113
00:05:43,560 --> 00:05:45,720
Speaker 2: bit of information just so people can see where we're

114
00:05:45,720 --> 00:05:48,920
Speaker 2: currently tracking and the results will be updated as new

115
00:05:48,960 --> 00:05:50,760
Speaker 2: results are completed.

116
00:05:51,200 --> 00:05:53,599
Speaker 1: Well, then to the Electoral Commissioner, Kirsten Kelly, good to

117
00:05:53,600 --> 00:05:56,640
Speaker 1: speak with you this morning. Really appreciate your time anytime.

118
00:05:56,640 --> 00:05:57,640
Speaker 1: Thanks y, Thank you,