Charlotte Rawlinson has waited 19 years to vote.  This morning she had to wait a bit longer.  The ‘democracy baby’, born in 1994, had to cool her heels for almost half-an-hour at the Oval voting station that opened late.

Charlotte said she was excited to vote and was looking forward to making her mark.

“I got up early and just pulled on some clothes to rush down here.  But the station never opened at 7 am.”

Tony and Phyllis Reis arrived at 6.15am to vote – long before IEC officials bothered to bring equipment such as scanners, ballot papers  etc.

That only arrived at 7.10am.  IEC officials appeared harassed and the growing queue started getting restless with many commenting that May 7 was earmarked as election day some three months ago yet the IEC still was not ready.

The elderly were brought to the front to sit on chairs by police officials who appeared to be more organised than the IEC.

A scanner appeared not to work and early voter Jessica Gribben remarked that they could not stick a voting sticker in her i.d. book – but she did get the thumbnail mark.