By Callum Ludwig
Pre-polling started on Monday this week and Eildon voters haven’t wasted anytime jumping to the early voting centres ahead of the 26 November election.
Pre-polling centre 10 Centella Place, Launching Place is the place to go for Eildon voters in the Yarra Ranges, outside the former Launch Hardware building.
Volunteers from the Labor party, Liberals, Greens and Liberal Democrats were outside the polling station on Wednesday 16 November, handing out how-to-vote cards and pushing their message across.
Co-secretary of the Healesville and Upper Yarra Greens Bob Rich said the reason he was volunteering is to fulfil his duty as a ‘professional grandfather.’
“I want the young generation and thereafter to have a future, which means doing something about environmental destruction and there is no point if it isn’t a decent future either,” he said.
“We need fairness and caring for people less fortunate than us and particularly for some of the outrageous things being done to refugees. I was once a refugee and turned 14 in Australia and I have been outraged at what both Labor and Liberal have done to refugees. I was an idealist as a kid and I’m still an idealist now”
Reportedly, opening day on Monday was busy at the station with Tuesday and Wednesday quietening down, with the poor weather possibly a factor.
Liberal Democrats volunteer Linda said she hopes to sack Dan [Andrews] and get some rights back into the state.
“Over the last two years I suddenly became interested in politics and it has severely affected our lives. I’m standing for libertarians, less heavy-handed government, more sovereignty of individuals and self-responsibility and to get back to human rights and the rights under the Constitution,” she said.
“I think people are more politically engaged now like I am. Case in point, I voted Labor and had been a Labor person all my life prior to two years ago.”
On Twitter, the official Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC) account said that a record-breaking 115,065 votes were cast on the first day of early voting on Monday 14 November, compared to 75,612 during the 2018 election, an increase of 52 per cent.
Liberals volunteer Narelle said she was volunteering to support Cindy [McLeish] and the values of her and the Liberal Party.
“Cindy is fabulous, she has a very big electorate and still goes everywhere and addresses everyone’s concerns. I think Cindy’s a great representative of the people, and I think she gives people an opportunity to have their say in our fabulous, democratic country,” she said.
“One issue that comes up at the moment is the quality of the roads, but also how lockdowns and Covid affected and how we are moving on from that.”
Labor volunteer Greg declined to comment.
