Election Day: your Vote, your Voice, our Duty

It’s Election Day across Australia, and here on the Central Coast, it’s time to do what millions before us have fought hard to make possible: Vote.

Whether you’re lining up at a local school, grabbing a sausage on the way out, or reflecting on your choices over a cup of coffee, today is about more than preferences and policies.

It’s about participation. It’s about showing up.

If you need information, grab one of the papers or see the latest flip book edition here.

Find extensive online stories at our Election Hub.

Australian democracy isn’t perfect, no system is, but it’s one of the fairest, most transparent, and balanced in the world.

We inherited a sophisticated parliamentary system from the British, then made it better.

We added our own flavour: preferential voting, an independent electoral commission, and yes, compulsory voting.

Because in Australia, we believe that the right to vote comes with the responsibility to use it.

It’s not just a privilege, it’s a duty. Living in this country means embracing not just the great freedoms we enjoy, but also the big responsibilities that come with them.

For many on the Coast, this year’s election has felt especially significant.

The seat of Robertson in the south is being very hotly contested. Though so too are the seats of Dobell and Shortland in the north.

Local promises have flown, from roads and hospitals to youth programs and domestic violence support.

But no matter where you stand politically, your vote matters.

Each voice helps shape the direction of our nation and our community.

And while many have already voted early, taking advantage of the pre-polling centres across the region, today remains a cornerstone of our democratic life.

If you haven’t voted yet, now’s the time.

Polling places are open until 6pm.

Bring your best thinking, your voter ID (just kidding, it’s not required), and maybe a few dollars for that sausage sandwich.

So vote well. Vote thoughtfully. Vote proudly.

In doing so, you honour those who came before us, those who fought for rights, demanded representation, and built the democratic institutions we rely on today.

They didn’t do it for perfection. They did it for progress. For fairness. For freedom.

Let’s not take that for granted.

David Abrahams – Managing Editor