Early voting open

Early voting for the 2017 State election has now opened in the Pilbara and around WA, with electors now free to vote before election day without specifying a reason.

Karratha and Port Hedland are the sites of two Pilbara early polling centres where people can lodge their votes before March 11.

The 13/5-15 Sharpe Avenue, Karratha centre is open from 8.30am-5pm Monday-Friday, while the South Hedland Justice Complex centre at 8-12 Hawke Place opens from 8.30am-4.30pm Monday-Friday.

People wanting to vote early can also apply for postal votes through the WA Electoral Commission website or at their local post office.

Electoral Commissioner David Kerslake said at this election, people wishing to vote early did not need to provide a reason as they had in the past.

“In the past electors were required to declare that for some reason they were unable to vote on polling day. That rule no longer applies,” he said.

“If you simply prefer to vote early rather than leave it until polling day, that is your choice.”

The WA Electoral Commission is expecting early voting to increase this election based on this change and recent trends in other States.

The two Pilbara sites are among more than 30 early voting centres throughout the State open between now and March 10.

A full list of locations is available on the Electoral Commission website at elections.wa.gov.au

For election assistance, you can also call the elections helpline on 13 63 06.