A by-election to vote in a new Mayor for Whitsunday Regional Council will be held on 13 August 2022 according to Electoral Commission Queensland (ECQ).
Currently there are six candidates running for the office: Jan Clifford, Al Grundy, Mike Brunker, Peter Hood, Julie Hall and Phil Batty.
Two separate Meet The Candidates Events will be hosted by Bowen Chamber of Commerce and Whitsunday Coast Chamber of Commerce respectively.
Bowen Chamber of Commerce will hold their Special Mayoral Candidates Meeting on Wednesday, August 3 at 5.45pm at the Larrikin Hotel. Whitsunday Coast Chamber Of Commerce will host their Meet The Mayoral Candidates Event on Monday, July 25 from 6 to 8pm in the Reef Gateway Function Room.
ECQ Commissioner Pat Vidgen said there were a number of ways people could vote.
“Don’t worry if you can’t make it on polling day, we have several options available including telephone voting for people who meet the eligibility criteria - like those who have tested positive to COVID-19 and anyone interstate or overseas,” Mr Vidgen said.
“There will also be two weeks of early voting and postal voting and both of those options are open to everyone.
“We know there are more than 23,600 registered voters in the Whitsunday region and we want to make voting as quick and easy as possible for every one of them.”
Postal vote applications are open now and close 7pm on 1 August 2022.
Early voting starts at 9am on 1 August 2022 and finishes at 6pm on 12 August 2022 at three early voting centres in Bowen, Cannonvale, and Proserpine.
On election day there will be five polling booths in Cannonvale Beach, Proserpine, Collinsville, Bowen and Hamilton Island.
Mr Vidgen reminded people in the Whitsunday region voting is compulsory and failure to vote fines increased to $143.75 from 1 July 2022.
Candidates may still nominate for the seat of Mayor until Monday, July 25.
