Early voting has been underway across the Yass Valley and the Eden-Monaro electorate for nearly two weeks now and Election Day is finally upon us on Saturday (May 21).
The Eden Monaro electorate covers the Yass Valley, and 41,617 square kilometres surrounding the ACT. The largest concentration of voters live in the Canberra overflow around Queanbeyan and Yass.
But the electorate also includes fishing, holiday and retirement towns of Merimbula, Narooma, and Bermagui on the NSW far south coast, and the agricultural and forestry districts around Bega and Eden.
Away from the coast it also includes NSW snowfields as well as Batlow and Tumut to the north and west of the ACT.
In Yass early voting is available until Friday May 20 at St Clements Church Hall on Church Street. Opening hours are Wednesday to Thursday from 8:30am – 5:30pm and Friday from 8:30am to 6pm.
On election day (May 21) the below voting centres will be available from – 8am to 6pm:
- Yass High School – 39 Grampian Street
- St Clements Church – 17 Church Street
- Berinba Public School – 81 Church Street
- Bowning Community Hall – 5 Short Street
- Murrumbateman Community Church – 30 East Street
- Binalong Public School – 10 Dickinson Street
- Gundaroo Public School – Lot Street
- Sutton Public School – 18 Victoria Street
If you’re on the lookout for a democracy sausage after you exercise your democratic rights the Yass Valley SPIN Foundation has confirmed they will be hosting a barbecue at St Clements Church on Saturday.
The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) will provide COVID safety measures with dedicated AEC hygiene officers who will be regularly sanitising surfaces and pencils at all AEC early voting centres. Social distancing will see equipment spaced out, markers and other signage providing guidance and queue controlling staff offering support to voters.
AEC staff will be wearing masks and other personal protective equipment as required. However, voters do not need to be vaccinated to attend a voting centre and campaign activities like handing out how-to-vote cards can occur, in line with local health directions.
Brianna O’Rourke
