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Return rates for City of Canning council election ballots very low

Jaime ShurmerCanning Gazette

POSTAL returns in Canning’s Nicholson ward are looking sparse, struggling to hit 7 percent.

Figures on the WA Electoral Commission’s (WAEC) website record the number of postal votes returned via Australia Post and do not include those hand delivered to local governments.

As of today, of the 10,594 postal votes sent across Nicholson ward, which is mostly Canning Vale, just 735 had been returned.

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Returns for Mason ward sits at 10.88 per cent, Bannister ward similar on 10.08 per cent, with Beeloo on 12.73 per cent.

Beeliar is experiencing the highest return of 14.73 per cent.

Voting packages were sent in late September and WAEC commissioner David Kerslake said ballot papers must be received and signed by Saturday, October 21.

In 2015, voter participation for the City of Canning local government election was a reasonably healthy 31.8 per cent.

No election was held in Canning in 2013.

In 2011 voter participation was 27.3 per cent.

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