Probe Underway After Nearly Half the Votes at 1 Polling Booth Declared Invalid

About 50 ballots at the booth of 111 people were filled out incorrectly, and locals say AEC staff were responsible.

Volunteers hand out voting cards next to election candidate posters outside a pre-polling centre in Sydney on May 2, 2025. David Gray/AFP via Getty Images

An unusually high number of informal votes cast at a polling booth in Missabotti, southwest of Coffs Harbour, has prompted an investigation by the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC).

Of the 111 people who voted at the booth, 50 incorrectly completed their House of Representatives ballots, rendering nearly half the votes invalid.