ACT Election 2020: Still minds left to change, campaigners say, with a week left to vote

The gauntlet of political candidates and their volunteers at Margaret Timpson Park in the Belconnen town centre on Saturday afternoon was hardly being run. A slow trickle of voters passed through, some stopping for how-to-vote cards and others brushing them all off on the way through.

Among them, Robyn Grame of Scullin was on her way to vote, ready to join the around 30 per cent of Canberra voters who have already cast their ballots.

Voting opened on September 28 and will conclude next Saturday.

Ms Grame said she was very confident nothing could be said in the next week would change her mind.

"I made that decision a couple of weeks ago because I'd researched them before I wanted to vote to see what their all about and what their background and everything before I voted," Ms Grame said after returning from the Belconnen polling booth.

She said housing and health issues had weighed on her mind in making the decision, but she was most concerned about candidates being able to deliver their promises.

Ms Grame said she had researched the candidates online, reading their websites to inform her choices.

"Some of the things that were said last year did not happen. That's why I thought, I'll research this time," she said.

The push during the election to get as many people to vote early as possible, to limit the number of people who need to vote on election day to help with social distancing requirements, has thrown up its own challenges for the people running the campaigns.

ACT Labor secretary and campaign director Mel James said her experience told her the election was up for grabs right until the polling booths closed.

"We are going to continue to campaign right up until Saturday and I think the thing is with Hare-Clark every election's close. There are no certainties in any election, and I think the Labor Party's learnt that from the last federal election - but in Hare-Clark it's even truer. Every vote counts," Ms James said.

Ms James said big announcements were made early, which was not necessarily unusual.

"As a general rule, Canberrans are very informed voters, I find, and they do like to know about the policies and candidates when they go to vote," she said.

"Being able to have those big announcements in those key areas out quite early, and really we've worked hard to get all of our announcements out before pre-poll, and there's still some smaller or localised things we're continuing to announce and talk about.

"I think it's really a positive thing so people know what the issues are and what they're voting for and can be as informed as possible when they head to the polling booth."

Ms James said the campaign had been condensed, which had been tiring for campaigners and candidates. She said the focus had shifted to individual candidates being present in pre-poll locations.

"So whereas in other campaigns they might still be out doing lots and lots of door-knocking and direct voter contact like that, there's probably been more of a shift to handing out how-to votes and day-in, day-out standing near polling booths - or 100 metres away," she said.

Whether people had made their minds up or not, there was a nicer tone on the hustings, as if the pandemic had brought people together and made them respect the need for a safe democratic process, Ms James said.

"Everyone is going to have different views, and not everyone's going to agree - but if we can remain civil and respectful, I think that's when we actually achieve the best things in campaigns," she said

Greens campaign manager Clancy Barnard said pre-polling usually attracted the rusted-on voters, but this year had brought a wider cross section out early.

"I suspect that the kind of persuadable, the swing voters are still out there," Mr Barnard said, adding that party members were spending the weekend door-knocking.

"What we've kind of found is that about one in two people that we speak to when we knock on the doors are open to voting Greens across the ACT, and obviously it's a bit higher in places in Kurrajong and the inner city. It's a pretty broad cross section, I'd say," he said.

Mr Barnard said the campaign had taught him he needed to be prepared for other parties wanting to talk about some of the Greens' usual policy areas: active transport and environmental issues.

"Whereas in the ACT, it's a progressive city so how to have a nuanced debate about urban canopy policy is quite unique I think, which I've found really interesting to watch it play out and how people kind of have the media and how different parties, how they look at those issues which are traditionally Greens issues," he said.

Mr Barnard said the long pre-poll period had led, in some quarters, to desperation.

"People are trying to pull any kind of stunt they can. And [you have to remember] not to be sucked off course, stick to the plan, policy every day. Continue talking to voters. All of that kind of stuff," he said.

Mr Barnard said the Greens had made the right call not to put corflutes on the side of the road.

"One other lesson is people hate billboards. The amount of people who call me or say, you're not doing the yard signs, I'm going to vote for you because of it. I think it saves us a hell of a lot of budget we didn't have," he said.

"But yeah, I think it's kind of proven - and we'll see with the election result - but that's one thing I think I've learnt. Just because something's always been done, doesn't mean you have to do it."