Friday June 19 2020, 10:52 AM
Pat Vidgen PSM
Electoral Commissioner Queensland
Subject: Generally I think there are a few problems with the voting system using sellotape cardboard boxes and non verifiable pencil on paper such as the current election ballot box postal system in use by the ECQ today
Introduction
Generally I think there are a few problems with the voting system using sellotape cardboard boxes and non verifiable pencil on paper such as the current election ballot box postal system in use by the ECQ today
With 1/3 plus of the votes missing this time round and absolutely no scrutineering worth speaking of - in my Division 3 alone 6,970 votes were missing in other words we are asked to believe that one third of the votes were not cast in Division 3 multiplied across 11 SCRC Divisions ( $133.45 * 7000 per division * 11 SCRC Divisions) and upwards of $934,150 in fines not issued in the Sunshine Coast Regional Council area alone 77,000 went missing
Coronavirus COVID19 notwithstanding I seriously question the professionalism of the ECQ and its integrity and the officials working for it and based on gut feel intuition and logic and in conjunction with other variations errors and omissions I feel that the electoral process for the 2020 QLD Mayoral / Council elections has been abused as detailed in points 1 - 7 below
1.
The random selection of the order on the ballot paper on Wed 4 Mar 2020 in BIRTINYA can best be described as a joke magicians act using an Eski cool bag with concealed flaps inside that could have other concealed predetermined order of ballotThe ballot draw envelopes were shaken left to right to left inside the Eski rather than in three dimensions presumably so that the predetermined ballot could not jump out of the vertical pockets inside
For example the First Draw order of ballot for mayoral candidate Jamieson the Letter containing Jamieson's name was not even sealed before it was placed in the Eski
Councillor Cox was also drawn appearing first on the ballot paper in similar fashion
Jamieson and Cox both left early even before the result was announced
The random selection of the order on the ballot paper was at worst amateur and I now suspect corrupt with incumbents Jamieson and Cox both appearing first on the ballot paper thus:-
Sunshine Coast Regional Council
Mayor 1 JAMIESON, Mark
Mayor 2 INNES, Don
Mayor 3 THOMPSON, Chris
Mayor 4 BURGESS, Michael
Sunshine Coast Regional Council - Division 3
Councillor 1 COX, Peter
Councillor 2 JESSOP, Mike
Councillor 3 MCDONALD, Michael
Councillor 4 MARIKO, Pamela J ANIMAL JUSTICE PARTY
Councillor 5 NAWROCKI, Stan
2.
Because I submitted my nomination at the ECQ premises and because the ECQ website had been down both weekends prior to nomination where I had tried to upload their details previouslyI would have submitted my nomination and nominators on the ECQ website had it not been inoperable and unavailable both weekends prior to the nomination deadline and every other timeI had tried to upload nominator details previously prior to nomination - which I had to do manually
I eventually submitted them at the ECQ premises in person- puzzlingly after a call from Lani Mercer requesting me to make an appointment to do so - which is certainly not a requirement
When I requested to confirm the address to attend she replied
right near Anaconda Home Central after which I had to ascertain from her the precise physical address as being 556 Kawana Way BIRTINYA When I presented my nomination in person
The ECQ official Lani Mercer tried to tell me three of my 7 valid nominators weren't registered voters!? They happened to be close friends who I have known for a long time who miraculously became registered once I was about to call them and verify this - thus from the outset I did not feel that the electoral process was unbiased free or fair
3.
The current voting system is based entirely on paper like the old system of clearing cheques!? Why isn't Voting done electronically via mygov / QGOV / verifiable via your TFN and or bank account!?I have been suggesting electronic voting for some time now at every state election since 2009 involving the ECQ ( And every other election I have taken part in since 2009)
If you can bank online you can vote online maybe having it linked to your bank account as well
The ECQ will need to work with the AEC and Federal Government and Banks to implement this via MYGOV and or QGOV ID for State and Local elections
Then you can have a more Corona COVID19 antivirus environment, less time consuming and labour intensive and you'll be able to vote more frequently and regularly on more issues more often and have a more democratic system into the bargain and the requirement for a scrutineering COVID19 antivirus environment would become a thing of the past!?
4.
Prior to the election day I received an Email dated 25 Mar 2020 4:42 pm from Electoral Commission of QueenslandThe email read
From: ECQ
By way of reply I forwarded the above email which I also replied to Lani Mercer
(Sunshine Coast Regional Council)
Because I was wearing a dust mask to limit exhalation and which was worn to
prevent infection through cough or sneeze I as the candidate and scrutineer was
nearly excluded from the proceedings by Lani who nearly didn't let me in to
scrutineer from 1.5 metres away!?
When I requested to raise these issues after the election to Lani Mercer and
Robyn Boyd ( on the 15th April 2020) their reply was "I am no longer
contracted by the ECQ how did you get my private and personal mobile number"
To the effect
Exclusion zone: No election signage of any type is to be erected until after
5:00 am tomorrow, 28 March 2020. At that time, an exclusion area of 100 metres
replaces the old 6 metre rule. Please see the following advice from ECQ.
the second one sent on Fri, 27 Mar 2020 06:26:35 +0000 on the eve of the
election ( after office hours and viewed 8:50PM) the first one having already
been acted upon After an email 3.5 hours earlier completely to the contrary
that involved round trips to all the polling booths so wasting 5 hours of
volunteer candidates time
After an email 3.5 hours earlier I received another email completely to the
contrary involving round trips to polling booths so wasting 5 hours of
volunteer candidates time to correct the error to the effect that
The area around an ordinary polling booth is the area within 100 metres of the
building in which the voting compartments for an ordinary polling booth are to
be located. However, if the building is in the grounds, the prohibited area
will include:
anywhere in the grounds;
on a boundary fence or another structure or feature that marks the boundary
of the grounds; and
anywhere within 100m of any entrance to the grounds.
Non-Compliance is punishable by up to 10 penalty units currently valued at
$1,334.50
Nor has there been any mention of fines issued ( 6,970 for not voting in
Division 3 Alone) I estimate that would total upwards of $1 million being
issued for one third of the electorate failing to vote in SCRC - which I find
incredible
The feeling that candidates were being given the run around by the ECQ at the
recent Qld SCRC Council elections March 28th 2020 would be an understatement to
the extent that I feel that the elections were both corruptly and incompetently
administered
And based on gut feel intuition and logic especially in DIVISION 3 where I
stood and in conjunction with other variations errors and omissions I feel that
the electoral process for the 2020 QLD Mayoral / Council elections has been
abused
I would like to know what your views are in point 3 above please And your
response to items 1 - 7 above before the next State election and in detail
specifically how 6,970 or 1/3rd of the votes went missing ikn Division 3 alone
Yours sincerely
Mike Jessop
INDEPENDENT
Subject:
I have just been provided with the following clarification by the Electoral
Commission of Queensland (ECQ) regarding the placement of signage at Polling
Booths tomorrow:
No signs are to be erected or placed within 100 metres of a polling place
until 5:00 am tomorrow.
After 5:00 am, the 'normal' rules apply and signs may be placed outside
the usual 6 metre arc from the entrance to a polling day booth.
As at early voting, no canvassing may take place 'in or near 'or 'in the
vicinity of' a polling day booth.
Election material is to be displayed inside polling day booths (maximum A4
size up to 2 sides) in ballot paper order or otherwise for 3rd parties as
appropriate.
I apologise for the inconvenience the advice in my earlier email may have
caused.
Regards
Robin Boyd
Returning Officer
Sunshine Coast Regional Council
After an email 3.5 hours earlier completely to the contrary involving round
trips to polling booths to wasting 5 hours of volunteer candidates time to
correct the error
I am writing to advise you of some clarifications for polling tomorrow.
How-to-Vote (HTV) cards: There has been some confusion about what the
arrangements are. Please deliver, or have one of your supporters deliver, your
approved HTV card or election flyer to our booth supervisors before 8:00 am
tomorrow morning. They will be there from approximately 6:45 am.
Please remember these must be the approved ones and the ones you were handing
out to voters before the arrangements for party workers changed. For example,
if it was a DL size, that is the size of the HTV that you can deliver. It can
be no larger than A4 and there is to be NO upsizing.
Exclusion zone: No election signage of any type is to be erected until after
5:00 am tomorrow, 28 March 2020. At that time, an exclusion area of 100 metres
replaces the old 6 metre rule. Please see the following advice from ECQ.
An election sign includes
a continuous sign (that is, a sign comprised of a length of continuous flexible
material); or pieces of flexible material joined together; or streamers; or
bunting, that contain anything that could influence an elector in relation to
voting at the election; or
a sign that could otherwise affect the result of the election; or
a sign that is the colours that are ordinarily associated with a registered
political party.
The area around an ordinary polling booth is the area within 100 metres of the
building in which the voting compartments for an ordinary polling booth are to
be located. However, if the building is in the grounds, the prohibited area
will include:
anywhere in the grounds;
on a boundary fence or another structure or feature that marks the boundary
of the grounds; and
anywhere within 100m of any entrance to the grounds.
Non-Compliance is punishable by up to 10 penalty units currently valued at
$1334.50
Scrutineers: There is NO provision for scrutineers to be in attendance at
counting in Polling Booths or at the counting of pre-poll votes tomorrow night
or Sunday. Scrutineers can witness the sealing and unsealing of the ballot
boxes tomorrow in Polling Booths and the unsealing of ballot boxes in the
Counting Centres for pre-poll votes.
I will advise you on Sunday of arrangements for Monday onwards.
Regards
Robin Boyd
Returning Officer
Sunshine Coast Regional Council
Response to Correspondence of 19 June 2020 from ECQ
Together we will change the
course of history
May God bless you
With apologies to LONDON and his mate CHARIVARI
* Conditions apply
Date: Wed, 25 Mar 2020, 4:42 pm
Subject: Feedback requested: LG2020 additional measures
To:
Being asked to reply to an email without specifying a return email to reply to
from the noreply email - this is basic administration - How about a return
email ID!?
5.
I have mentioned electronic voting at every election it seems to ECQ Contract
staff since 2009 - No wonder previous suggestions to the ones I have made here
had fallen on deaf ears!? Not in the contractors interest?
6.
I received emails from Robin Boyd ( reproduced at Appendices A and B attached
below) regarding Placement of Signage at Polling Booths the first one sent on
Fri, 27 Mar 2020 01:33:04 +0000
7.
As I said after these emails were received 3.5 hours apart and completely to
the contrary involving round trips to polling booths so wasting 5 hours
of volunteer candidates time At the Meridan School Polling Centre I and others
witnessed that Councillor Cox had 20 signs placed WITHIN the 6 metres:
identifiable witness fellow candidate Stan Nawrocki it seems without redress
CONCLUSION:
Coronavirus COVID19 notwithstanding and until these matters have been addressed
I seriously question the professionalism of the ECQ at the aforementioned
Sunshine Coast Regional Council elections and therefore of the ECQ and its
integrity and the officials working for it namely elections.qld.gov.au ( one of
whom has worked for ECQ for the last 11 years) in time for the upcoming State
Elections
Appendix A
Email from Robin Boyd on the eve of the election sent after office hours and
viewed 8:50PM
Placement of Signage at Polling Booths
Date:
Fri, 27 Mar 2020 06:26:35 +0000
From:
[email protected]
To:
[email protected]
Good afternoon Candidates
Appendix B
Subject:
Clarifications for Polling Day
Date:
Fri, 27 Mar 2020 01:33:04 +0000
From:
[email protected]
To:
[email protected]
Good morning Candidates
Tel: 07 5499 6937
Ph: 0416 293 686
Contact Mike
