The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) has warned that some polling places across Barker may not open this Saturday due to a lack of recruitment in the region.
Localities that could be affected are:
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- Carpenter Rocks
- Coonawarra
- Lyrup
- Nangwarry
- Rendelsham
- Southend
- Swan Reach
- Furner
- Mypolonga
- Ramco
Electoral Commissioner Tom Rogers said most polling places around Australia will be in operation for the Federal Election, on Saturday, May 21, but some were at risk.
"Voters in identified regional locations who have not accessed an early voting centre, or postal vote, may not have a polling venue in their town on election day," he said.
"Short of handing out blank cheques for work, or accommodating thousands of single-day workers in interstate locations, there is not much more we could have done so far.
"We're calling on other organisations to assist as a final push, and investigating all possible staffing models including amalgamating venues.
"The list of affected areas will reduce as we get closer to Saturday and many local residents will have already accessed the alternative forms of voting available in the Australian system."
Mr Rogers said the AEC advised recruitment difficulty was advised earlier in the pandemic and in the early stages of the election period.
"Current labour shortages in regional areas have been well documented. No frontline service has been immune to resourcing difficulties and we're running the nation's biggest in-person, manual event," he said.
There is still time to register your interest to work at a polling place to ensure they can be open and accessible on Saturday.
To sign up, visit aec.gov.au/electionjobs and fill out the registration form. It is quick to complete, polling official positions are paid, you don't need any experience to register, and we'll provide you with the training you need.
