Nick Dametto Leads Early Count in Townsville Mayoral By-Election
Counting is well underway in Townsville as the city waits to find out who will take the reins as its next mayor. Former Katter’s Australian Party MP Nick Dametto has emerged as the frontrunner in the early stages of the vote count, according to figures released by the Electoral Commission of Queensland (ECQ). By Saturday night, more than 43,000 ballots had already been tallied, showing Mr Dametto leading with around 61 percent of the votes counted so far.
The Townsville mayoral by-election was triggered by the resignation of former mayor Troy Thompson, who stepped down amid a Crime and Corruption Commission investigation. Despite the controversy, Mr Thompson has denied any wrongdoing and is once again contesting the mayoral role. Voters in the city, which has roughly 142,000 enrolled residents, were given until 6pm on Saturday to return their postal ballots, making this the largest full postal ballot ever conducted by the ECQ.
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Eight candidates remain in the running for mayor, following the withdrawal of one candidate, Sean Gleeson, last month. Election officials confirmed that a total of 87,050 postal votes were ready to be counted. The ECQ has emphasized that only first preference votes are being counted at this stage, and results will continue to be updated progressively online. A final declaration of the winner will be made once the outcome is certain, but officials warned that this may take some time, possibly extending beyond the postal vote deadline of November 25.
Nick Dametto expressed confidence as early results came in, noting the strong support reflected in the initial count. He acknowledged that a number of votes are still to be tallied but suggested that the current trend would be difficult to reverse. “It’s been really gratifying seeing the votes coming through so strong,” he said, emphasizing that while more postal votes will be counted in the coming days, the early figures indicate a solid mandate from voters.
The Townsville mayoral by-election is shaping up to be a closely watched contest, not only because of the circumstances surrounding the former mayor’s resignation but also due to the sheer scale of the postal vote. Residents and political observers alike are keeping a close eye on the count, awaiting confirmation of the city’s next leader in northern Queensland.
With counting continuing and the final results expected over the next week or so, Townsville is in for an anxious wait as its future mayor is officially determined. The early lead for Nick Dametto, however, provides a clear indication of the direction the city’s electorate may be leaning as they choose their next civic leader.
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