THE DOORS have closed at Mount Gambier’s Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) office, with the Divisional Office being transferred to Murray Bridge to serve the “very large” federal Barker electorate, the commission says.
The Mount Gambier office closed today, with the new office scheduled to open on February 8.
However, an AEC spokesperson said the closure of the long-standing 4 Mitchell Street facility would “in no way” diminish the level of services available to the people of Mount Gambier or the South East either at election time or throughout the three-year electoral cycle.
“Enrolment advice and services will continue to be available to voters by telephone and via the AEC website at www.aec.gov.au,” the spokesperson said.
“Specifically, people can apply for a postal vote online and they can still pick up an enrolment application form from any Australia Post outlet.
“As for the coming federal election, pre-poll and election-day facilities for the voters of Barker will be the same of those provided at the 2016 election.”
The spokesperson said although polling places for the upcoming election are yet to be finalised, there will be six locations in Mount Gambier, including five polling places on election day.
One early-voting centre will operate for three weeks.
“Electors in Mount Gambier will not need to travel to Murray Bridge to either enrol or vote,” the spokesperson said.
The AEC is the independent federal agency in charge of organising, conducting and supervising federal elections, by-elections and referendums.
The AEC’s main responsibility is to conduct federal elections, by-elections and referendums, as well as maintaining an up-to-date electoral roll, electorate boundaries and redistributions.
The 63,886 square kilometre seat currently stretches from Port MacDonnell in the south to Morgan to the south, taking in the Murray Mallee, the Riversland, the Murraylands and most of the Barossa Valley.
A recent redistribution saw Barker expand north-west, taking in Springton and Mount Pleasant from Mayo and Freeling, Kapunda and Williamstown from the outer-suburban seat of now Spence.
