By Corey Everitt
The ballots are set for the Cardinia election race as the figurative coins have been flipped to see who got the first slot that voters will soon see.
As only three of the nine wards have more than two candidates standing it was a thrilling draw with candidates waiting on baited breath to get the converted first spot on the ballot.
Kylie Wagstaff will appear above longtime councillor Brett Owen for Beacon Hills Ward. As Owen received over 60 per cent of the vote last election, Wagstaff may be pleased to get this small win.
Alanna Pomeroy got the top spot over Travis Parker in Bunyip, starting a duel to see who will succeed Cr Moore’s legacy.
Collin Ross got first over Rekha Devdas Naidu in his bid to see 20 years on the council.
Officer Ward will see a new councillor after Tammy Radford did not nominate; disability worker Samantha-Jane Potter got first in her face-off against success coach Ron Malhotra.
On Tuesday, it looked worryingly that no one may nominate for the Westernport Ward, but Kaye Cameron nominated for another term alongside new candidate Trudi Paton. Cameron will appear above Paton.
Henty, Ranges and Toomuc are the seats to watch this year with 12 candidates standing across them, representing over half the overall pool of candidates.
Dewhurst resident Catherine Oldenburger got first on the ballot for Ranges Ward with former councillor David Nickell in the middle and incumbent Jeff Springfield making third on the list.
Toomuc Ward saw councillor Stephanie Davies take the top of the ballot in the four-way contest, with Cardinia Civic Concert Band’s Casey Thomsen second, Lakeside’s Rodrigo Bardales third and Australian Tamil Sangam’s Amirthalingam Dhileepan fourth.
Henty is the largest contest this election, the only list that the electoral officer had to follow the protocol of scrolling down to show all candidates before proceeding with the random computerised selection.
Real estate agent Shoheli Sunjida, making a second run for council, got first on the ballot, Pakenham Toy Library’s Liz Robert’s second, African community leader Cecilia Rabecca Mphande got the middle spot, incumbent Carol Ryan got fourth and Stephanie Grigg, the Victorian Socialist’s first deployment in Cardinia, got fifth.
The draw for Pakenham Hills was skipped as Jack Kowarzik stood unopposed and will be re-elected for another term.
Full list in ballot order
Beacon Hills Ward
Kylie Wagstaff
Brett Owen
Bunyip Ward
Alanna Pomeroy
Travis Parker
Central Ward
Collin Ross
Rekha Devdas Naidu
Henty Ward
Shoheli Sunjida
Liz Roberts
Cecilia Rabecca Mphande
Carol Ryan
Stephanie Grigg
Officer Ward
Samantha-Jane Potter
Ron Malhotra
Ranges Ward
Catherine Oldenburger
David Nickell
Jeff Springfield
Toomuc
Stephanie Marie Davies
Casey Thomsen
Rodrigo Alonso Bardales Salguero
Amirthalingam Dhileepan
Westernport
Kaye Cameron
Trudi Paton
Pakenham Hills
Jack Kowarzik (elected uncontested)
