Despite Premier Will Hodgman’s refusal so far to name a date for the March state election, the Tasmanian Electoral Commission’s preparations for the big day are just about in full swing.
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Electoral Commissioner Andrew Hawkey said there were some things the TEC could only prepare for once they knew a date, such as hiring polling premises and recruiting polling staff.
He likened preparing for a state election to a theatre production.
“We’ve got our directors, we’ve got our producers, we’ve hired the theatre for the broader period,” he said.
“We’ve had people rehearsing their lines and knowing their roles.
“We just can’t sell any tickets [yet].”
Mr Hawkey said there was a great number of small tasks that needed to be completed in order to set the stage for a state election.
“There’s things we can do without a date, but … we won’t hit full swing until we’ve got that date,” he said.
“One example of that might be how big the ballot paper is going to be.
“We have eight registered parties here in Tasmania at the moment – are they all going to have candidates for each division?”
It has been speculated that the election will be held on one of two days in March, due to two public holidays falling in the month this year.
It is widely believed that March 17 will be the date – the same day as the South Australian state election.
Mr Hodgman has repeatedly said that the election will be “in March” and that, in the meantime, his government is “getting on with the job of governing”.
Mr Hawkey said that even after the TEC has a date, there are some things that just cannot be predicted.
“Once the show starts, you’ve just got to go with the flow and get things done,” he said.
“And some things it’s almost best not to worry about until you get there.
“As long as you’ve got enough stock for ballot papers.”
If you are uncertain as to whether you are enrolled to vote, visit the Australian Electoral Commission website.