The humble corflute causes flutters in the electorate
Political candidate corflutes have been facing the frontline of dirty campaigning ahead of the federal election.
Corflute disputes have sparked controversies during the campaign, with signs taken down and stolen by opposing candidates and parties.
The relatively innocuous plastic posters have also been defaced and vandalised across multiple electorates.
But this hasn't been a problem everywhere - South Australia banned them in February 2024.
The ban was in place for the state's last two by-elections, but Saturday's federal election is the first major poll where it has been in effect.
Corflutes and other election advertising are banned on public roads, power poles (also known as stobies in SA) and trees, with a maximum penalty of $5000 for breaches.
Former SA opposition leader David Speirs, who introduced the legislation in 2023, pushed for the ban to reduce visual pollution and cut waste from single-use plastic.
Special Minister of State Kyam Maher says the ban appears to be working well.
"South Australians are telling us they are glad to no longer have corflutes filling every stobie pole. Our environment will benefit from having significantly less plastic waste after Saturday's election day".
Flinders University political commentator Rob Manwaring agreed that the absence of corflutes had made the election campaign invisible on the streets of Adelaide.
"But there's been very little research on the impact of corflutes, particularly in terms of their importance to smaller or minor party candidates," he said.
A massive spike in early voting pointed to people wanting to tune out of the election as quickly as possible, he said.
"There is disengagement from politics."
Australian voters may not be fired up, but corflutes have been repeatedly targeted as candidates fight for prime position and try to handicap their political opponents.
There have been moments of levity during the campaign, such as when three women in the affluent Sydney suburb of Mosman defaced a corflute before one realised she'd used her expensive lipstick.
"Oh shit, it was Chanel, why'd you let me do that?" one was caught on video saying while drawing a pig's nose on Zali Steggall's corflute.
The husband of independent Monique Ryan was also caught walking down the street after stealing a large Liberals poster, which the Kooyong MP has apologised for.
Fights have ended up in court and even invoked the constitution after a local council removed Liberal Party A-frame signs from outside an early voting centre under a rule that limits candidates to having one sign on public land.
The Liberals are fighting the rule in court after the City of Boroondara argued the signs were a risk to pedestrians and road users while the party argues they were crucial for candidate recognition.
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