Quakers Hill Polling Centre Closed Following Truck Crash On First Day of Voting

Early voters were unable to cast their ballots at a North West polling centre on Tuesday after a truck crash forced its closure for the first day of early voting.

A Liberal Party truck delivering materials to the Quakers Hill Community Centre polling station crashed into the facility on Monday, preventing its opening the following day for early voters.

It appeared that the roof of a porte-cochère at the community centre was resting on top of the truck after the crash. The collision tore the roof off of one pylon, which remained standing next to the truck, and caused another to collapse.

The truck, which bore advertisements for Greenway candidate Rattan Virk, was “delivering materials” to the centre, according to the Liberal Party.

“We sincerely regret any inconvenience this has caused for the local community,” a Liberal Party spokesperson told the Daily Telegraph.

The Australian Electoral Commission confirmed the booth would not open on Tuesday and said it was “assessing the damage to this facility and will make a decision about whether the facility can be used or will need to be relocated in the coming days.”

A receptionist at the Quakers Hill Community Centre told City Hub that voters would be able to cast their ballots on Wednesday from 8.30am to 5.30pm.

However, the truck was still wedged under the roof on Tuesday as someone was seen removing its Liberal branding, revealing the logo of a truck rental company.

Voters in the electorate may cast their ballots at nearby early voting centres which are open in Blacktown and The Ponds, with others further away.

Early voting opens

Tuesday marked the commencement of early voting for the federal election, with polling stations opening across Sydney.

Australian Electoral Commissioner Jeff Pope encouraged voters to be aware if they needed to vote early.

“If you can vote on election day Saturday 3 May then that is what you need to do. If you can’t then you can vote at one of our many early voting centres across the country.  I encourage all voters to consider their circumstances and plan their vote,” Pope said.

“The bulk of our work still happens on election day, but for a variety of reasons it’s clear from past elections that more Australians are needing to access early voting options. Just over half of all voters cast an early vote, including a postal vote in 2022, and we expect that number to be similar this year.”

Booths will be closed on ANZAC Day. Some will be closed the day after, and some will not open until the final week of the election.

“Australian elections are unique and special in many ways – including the variety of voting options provided,” Pope noted.

“In many democracies around the world people have just a single location and single day to cast their vote.”