Kiama Uniting Church, which is being used as the Kiama pre-poll station, was vandalised for the third time this week. Kiama Uniting Church Minister Kath Merrifield, told The Bugle she had just got off the phone with the Berry Uniting Church where two of their banners were stolen on 11 October 2023.

Uniting Church has notified NSW Police about the incidents.

The church has a prominent sign that supports the ‘Yes’ vote in the referendum on the front of the building facing Manning Street.

The sign states ‘Voice, Treaty, Truth’ with a prominent ‘Yes’, but the most recent vandalism has covered the ‘Yes’ and ‘Voice’ with black paint.

Members of the church expressed their disappointment on the Kiama Jamberoo Uniting Church Facebook group.

“Feeling deeply saddened today that our banner has been vandalised for the third time,” one commenter wrote. “The Uniting Church proudly accepts the invitation of our First Nations brothers and sisters to support a constitutionally enshrined Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice to Parliament as an historic opportunity to recognise and honour First Nations people and to walk together as a nation toward a better future.”

Kath told The Bugle: “Part of my sadness is disappointment that these acts demonstrate an inability to engage together in open and respectful discussion and debate. I hope our community can be better than that.”

“However, each of us chooses to exercise our democratic privilege, vandalism is not ok.”

The AEC told The Bugle that “Electoral and referendum laws do not cover defacement of election or referendum posters. As with other forms of signage, graffiti, theft or destruction of property would be a matter for the police.”

Pre-polling is being held at the Uniting Church until Saturday 14 October, 2023, opening between 8.30am and 5.30pm on Thursday and closing at 6pm on Friday 13 October.

Across Australia there has been confusion from the Australian Electoral Commission whether wearing campaign material within the preroll by voters is allowed while they vote. The AEC has issued a media alert that voters are encouraged not to wear campaign material inside the polling booth, something normally strictly prohibited at an federal election.

The media alert says staff at polling booths will take a 'common sense ' approach.

However when The Kiama Bugle was within the prepoll booth in Kiama at the Uniting Church on Friday 13 October, it was observed a voter sitting inside the booth and chatting wearing a Vote Yes tee shirt, within a metre of voters actually filling out their ballots. The staff at the site indicated it was a grey area, and when queried suggested it was allowed while some other workers indicated it was not allowed. The instructions published by the AEC on how to deal with this situation is clearly confused as apparently it is allowed along as the voter doesn't 'make gestures' toward the campaign material they are wearing.

On polling day, you can vote in the Kiama LGA in the following locations between 8am and 6pm

• Kiama High School, 11 Saddleback Mountain Rd, Kiama
• Kiama Uniting Church - Worship Hall, 48 Manning St, Kiama
• North Kiama Neighbourhood Centre, 28A Meehan Dr, Kiama Downs
• Minnamurra Public School, 85 Charles Ave, Minnamurra
• Werri Beach Progress Hall, 14B Pacific Ave, Werri Beach
• Jamberoo Public School, 55 Churchill St, Jamberoo
• Gerringong Town Hall, 106 Fern St, Gerringong