Independent candidate for South-West Coast Michael McCluskey has highlighted the need for changes to the electoral ballot system to reduce the impact of donkey votes.
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The donkey vote involves voters filling in their votes in sequential order from top to bottom or bottom to top with no regard to the actual candidates.
Dr McCluskey said that in this South West Coast state election the current ballot draw system had worked in favour of the seat becoming more marginal, which would be a good thing for the community.
"We do need to look at eliminating chance as a factor in election results," he said.
“By introducing the Robson rotation, which involves a rotating system of candidates names on the ballot papers so that the donkey vote effect does not negatively impact candidates placed in the middle of the ballot paper, we can create a fairer system.”
Dr McCluskey said the Robson rotation, as used in Tasmania, was a method which involved ballot papers printed in equal-sized batches, with each batch having a different candidate's name appearing at the top in rotating order on the ballot paper.
"Modern day technology and printing techniques would mean the Robson rotation could easily be put in place for future elections at all levels of government - state, federal and local,” Dr McCluskey said.
The candidate said he had previously submitted the suggestion to the Victorian government review of the local government electoral system, along with a suggested change to the local council ballot paper in which voters would only be required to number candidates down to the same number as available vacancies.
“Changing to this system, as opposed to being required to number all candidates, would significantly reduce the number of informal votes which are more commonly seen when voters have to number all names from a large field of candidates,” he said.
“That happened at the last Warrnambool City Council election where a Melbourne Cup size field of 25 nominations was received. It also makes it easier for the voter and once again will give a truer reflection of the community's wishes” he said.
Pre-polling opened in the Warrnambool on Monday at the office which is located at 48 Kepler Street, the old Darrian Office and Art Supplies building, just down from the Capitol Theatre.
Warrnambool office election manager Ian Sadler said that after just two hours 270 people had voted on Monday.
"It's been fairly busy to start with. We're anticipating that over percent of voters will vote early in this election," he said.
"The Warrnambool office is open from 8.30am until 6pm weekdays and on Saturday, November 17 between 9am until 5pm," he said.
More than 4.1 million Victorians are enrolled to vote in this year's state election, which will officially be held on Saturday, November 24.