VOTERS in Cowper will choose from 11 candidates for the House of Representatives in the Federal Election on 3 May.
The final number is a record for the electorate and was revealed at the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) office in Kempsey on Friday, just before a blindfolded official drew ballot positions from numbered balls in a bingo-like cage.
A total of 1456 candidates were declared at public events across Australia on 11 April.
Of these, 1126 are contesting 150 lower house positions and 330 are vying for 40 Senate vacancies.
The AEC also revealed that a record 98.2 percent of eligible Australians (18,098,797) are now enrolled to vote, which represents an increase of 870,000 people (five percent) since the 2022 election.
The youth enrolment rate has also increased to 92 percent.
In order of how they will appear on the ballot paper, the candidates for Cowper are:
1) Greg Vigors – Coffs Coast (Labor)
2) Zeke Daley – Nambucca (Independent)
3) Megan Mathew (Legalise Cannabis Party)
4) Geoffrey Shannon – Port Macquarie (Trumpet of Patriots)
5) Pat Conaghan – Port Macquarie (Nationals)
6) Paul Templeton – Coffs Harbour (Libertarian)
7) Peter Jackel (Family First)
8) Wendy Firefly – Bellingen (The Greens)
9) Caz Heise – Coffs Harbour (Independent)
10) Geoffrey Marlow (Fusion Party)
11) Chris Walsh (Pauline Hanson’s One Nation).
About Cowper
The Cowper electorate has existed since Federation and is named after five-time Premier of NSW, Sir Charles Cowper.
It runs from Port Macquarie to Coffs Harbour, including Kempsey, South West Rocks, Bellingen and Dorrigo.
Nationals MP Pat Conaghan has held the seat since 2019.
By Sue STEPHENSON
