Eden-Monaro byelection date set for July 4

by

Voters will be asked to bring their own pencils to cast a vote at the Eden-Monaro byelection to be held on July 4, a date which has been deliberately chosen to help deal with the impact of the coronavirus.

Speaker Tony Smith will issue the writs on Thursday for what will be a 5½-week campaign.

https://static.ffx.io/images/$zoom_0.207%2C$multiply_0.7214%2C$ratio_1.776846%2C$width_1059%2C$x_0%2C$y_105/t_crop_custom/e_sharpen:25%2Cq_42%2Cf_auto/5961c0f8f2aca8c8baecc37c4fdce45521282087
Liberal party candidate Fiona Kotvojs in Murrumbateman on Sunday. Alex Ellinghausen

The election day is the start of school holidays in NSW.

Normally, the Australian Electoral Commission tries to avoid school holidays for elections but given the coronavirus pandemic officials say time will be needed after voting day to deep clean the polling booths, many of which are located at schools.

"In normal circumstances, the Australian Electoral Commission advises that it is preferable not to have elections during school holidays,'' Mr Smith said.

"With the current challenges created by the coronavirus pandemic, the advice is different on this occasion.

"The AEC has undertaken extensive consultations, including with the NSW Department of Education, because a significant number of polling places are located at schools.

"As a result, the AEC has advised me that it is preferable to have a polling date where students and staff do not return to school on the very next Monday. This will then enable a thorough sanitising clean after the completion of voting and counting.''

https://static.ffx.io/images/$zoom_0.267%2C$multiply_0.7214%2C$ratio_1.776846%2C$width_1059%2C$x_8%2C$y_0/t_crop_custom/e_sharpen:25%2Cq_42%2Cf_auto/7538ebc234e4f280880623930b514816a9987f8a
Labor candidate Kristy McBain with Anthony Albanese, who claims it will be hard to hold the seat.  Alex Ellinghausen

The AEC will have a raft of measures in place to protect voters, candidates and officials from being infected, including hand sanitiser at polling booths, the ballot draw and counting centres.

Voters will be asked to bring their own pencil and the AEC will encourage early voting.

Extra pre-polling and polling day locations will be established for people to cast their votes at.

"This is part of the effort to minimise the amount of people at a particular venue at the same time," an AEC official said.

"It is also in recognition of the fact that the important range of COVID-19 safety measures in place at voting venues will slow the speed of people getting through the polling place."

The AEC cannot govern the behaviour of party volunteers handing out how-to-vote cards outside polling booths, but will encourage them to comply with NSW's requirements on social distancing.

The byelection for the southern NSW seat was caused by the resignation of Labor MP Mike Kelly.

It will be a close-fought contest between Labor's Kristy McBain and the Liberal party's Fiona Kotvojs.

Both sides are publicly playing down their chances of winning the seat which Mr Kelly held by just 0.9 per cent at the last election. Labor leader Anthony Albanese claims it will be hard to hold the seat given Mr Kelly had a strong personal margin which got Labor across the line last year.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison points out it has been 100 years since a government won a seat from an Opposition in a byelection.

However, sources on both sides believe the Coalition has a strong chance of winning.

One Labor MP said should the party lose the seat, Mr Albanese would not be in trouble given it was hard at the moment to be noticed because of the pandemic crisis. Moreover, there was no one ready to take over as leader.

"He's working his guts out," the MP said of his leader.