SPECULATION that Victorian council elections could be postponed has Mildura candidates mulling the implications.
The Age reported it was “likely” the October postal elections would be pushed back, but the report noted a final decision was yet to be announced.
The Victorian Electoral Commission was reminding voters as recently as last week to ensure their details were up to date.
Mildura councillor Helen Healy said no details had come from an official government source about any postponement and questioned whether the report was a case of the media “making the news”.
Cr Healy said she was in two minds about the prospect of a delay.
“All along I felt that new candidates — as opposed to the incumbents — are really at a disadvantage, because they couldn’t get out and campaign,” she said.
“But then I felt there are quite a number of people that have launched their campaigns already — like Racheal Fyfe, Jodi Reynolds, Katie Clements — and they will have to now sustain that for we don’t know how long.”
Ms Fyfe, a first-time candidate, said pushing back elections would work against those who had already adapted to the challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic.
Ms Fyfe said there were still ways to reach voters while restrictions on physical campaigning were in place.
“If they do go ahead and postpone, I think it’s a slap in the face for those that have actually adapted their campaigning style and embraced technology as a way of how you can actually reach the community,” she said.
“Yes, it might not be traditional campaigning, but you can definitely still get out there and meet people virtually.”
Local Government Victoria this week released safe campaigning guidelines for candidates.
Door-knocking, attending community events and convening or attending meetings in public places or private residences were not permissible activities, under either stage 3 or stage 4 restrictions.
Letterbox drops and handing out leaflets, without entering a person’s premises, were permissible in stage 3.
