Voters showed up at electoral centres in Inverell from the early hours for the by-election triggered by the ousting of former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce in late October.
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There was initial confusion as a number of voters headed to Town Hall, a pre-polling station, only to find it closed.
At the three stations where voting did take place, the Labor, Greens and CountryMinded candidates rushed to wrestle away some of the power from Joyce. Most people, however, walking to the polling centres of Inverell seemed to have already made up their minds.
The ones that the Inverell Times spoke with were concerned mainly about the issues more than the personalities in the election. Some advised Joyce to put down his beer and come to Inverell a little bit more often though Joyce supporters outside the electoral centre said that Joyce was in the town the day before.
Despite some indication that Joyce is still a favorite in the region, there was a sense of camaraderie between the different local political factions. They joked about the near punch-up at another electoral station where CountryMinded candidate Pete Mailler found himself caught up in an altercation between a labor candidate and a Joyce supporter.
Here, in Inverell, there was fellowship. In fact, the only sizzle was the sausage sizzle, but even that was dampened by the rain.
