Today marks another election day for residents of Tasmania as voters in the divisions of Montgomery, Nelson, and Pembroke participate in the Legislative Council elections.

Just three weeks after the federal elections, polling in these divisions is now underway.

The Legislative Council serves as the upper house in Tasmania’s Parliament, primarily tasked with reviewing and voting on legislation that has already been considered by the lower house, known as the House of Assembly.

The council consists of 15 members, with each member elected from one of the 15 divisions across the state: Derwent, Elwick, Hobart, Huon, Launceston, McIntyre, Mersey, Montgomery, Murchison, Nelson, Pembroke, Prosser, Rosevears, Rumney, and Windermere.

Elections are held in three divisions one year and two divisions the following year, making this cycle the election year for Montgomery, Nelson, and Pembroke.

The Montgomery division is situated in the north-western region of Tasmania, incorporating suburbs from three municipalities, including the entirety of the Central Coast municipality.

It encompasses areas in Burnie, including suburbs east of Shorewell Creek and south of both Hillcrest and South Burnie, as well as parts of the Kentish municipality.

The Nelson division is located south of Hobart's central business district, covering suburbs such as Sandy Bay, Mount Nelson, and portions of Dynnyrne.

It extends to include areas in the Kingborough municipality, such as Taroona and Kingston.

The Pembroke division consists of suburbs on Hobart's eastern shore, including Geilston Bay, Lindisfarne, and Bellerive, all located south of Geilston Creek Road and west of the Meehan Range.

Voting in today's election is compulsory for all Tasmanian residents aged over 18 who are Australian citizens, enrolled on the electoral roll, and living in the aforementioned divisions.

Polling booths operate from 8 am to 6 pm, and eligible voters can locate their nearest booth on the Tasmanian Electoral Commission’s website.

Additionally, voters stationed outside Tasmania, as well as those with print disabilities, can cast their votes through alternative means, including telephone voting, a process newly introduced to assist those facing difficulties with conventional voting methods.

This initiative caters to a wide array of conditions that impede traditional voting, such as vision impairment, learning disabilities, and physical dexterity problems, among others, following the enactment of relevant legislation earlier this year.

The candidate lineup features three nominees for Nelson, and five candidates each for Montgomery and Pembroke.

Notably, incumbents Meg Webb for Nelson and Luke Edmunds for Pembroke are standing for reelection, whereas Leonie Hiscutt, the current representative for Montgomery, is retiring.

The candidates for each division are as follows:

Montgomery Division:

Darren Briggs — Tasmanian Greens
Gatty Burnett — Independent
Casey Hiscutt — Independent
Stephen Parry — Liberal Party
Adrian Pickin — Shooters, Fishers, Farmers TAS
Nelson Division:

Marcus Vermey — Liberal Party
Nathan Volf — Tasmanian Greens
Meg Webb (incumbent) — Independent
Pembroke Division:

Carly Allen — Tasmanian Greens
Luke Edmunds (incumbent) — Australian Labor Party
Steve Loring — Shooters, Fishers, Farmers TAS
Tony Mulder — Independent
Allison Ritchie — Independent
The Legislative Council elections follow a periodic system where members are elected on a rotating basis, differing from the House of Assembly, where all members are elected during full state elections.

This election cycle means that changes in council membership could occur annually.

Generally scheduled for the first Saturday of May, Legislative Council elections were postponed this year due to the recent federal election.

The divisions of Huon and Rosevears will hold elections next year.