ANOTHER claim surfaced in the North East yesterday of Liberal how-to-vote cards being altered in order to disadvantage the Nationals.
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Greens volunteer Toni Brezac said she saw two Liberal volunteers outside the Wangaratta early voting centre on Tuesday writing notes instructing voters how to vote below the line.
The women’s actions, she said, were in addition to a man seen doing the same thing in the morning.
Ms Brezac said this contradicted the Coalition’s defence that the changes were the work of “this one rogue volunteer”.
The Border Mail revealed earlier this week that cards for Euroa Liberal candidate Tony Schneider, handed out by the man on Tuesday morning, had the upper house section crossed out.
Previously these had advised voters to vote 1 above the line for the Coalition.
Written in pen under the line was advice on how to vote in the Upper House.
That had the three Liberal party candidates listed first, followed by the two Nationals candidates including sitting Northern Victoria Nationals MP Damian Drum at No. 4.
That is contrary to the Coalition’s registered upper house ticket, which alternates between Liberal and National candidates.
Ms Brezac said she and other Greens supporters had previously seen voters being told to change their voting ballot order.
“That was happening quite a bit last week,” she said.
“But what has also happened this week is two Liberal ladies were starting to write on the how-to-vote forms.”
At first they were just asking people if they were from the Euroa area.
“They then started bailing up everybody here to vote and encouraging them to vote below the line,” Ms Brezac said.
“And then they started writing on the cards they handed out.”
The assertion was yesterday rejected by Liberals for Indi field officer Karen Rourke.
Ms Rourke said one of the women accused of writing on the cards was in a campaign office with her when it was alleged she was outside the early voting centre.