Labor and Greens a hit for Aussie youth in exit poll

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Labor and Greens a hit for Aussie youth in exit poll

By Deborah Stone LONDON

WITH voting under way from London to Antarctica the first exit poll of the campaign indicates significant support for the Greens.

The Sun-Herald questioned 100 voters on Thursday and Friday as they left Australia House in the Strand, London. The result was Liberals 45 per cent, Labor 39 per cent and Greens 16 per cent.

Most of the people voting Labor and Greens were young, reflecting London's large population of Australian backpackers and workers.

Some Liberal voters said they were making a protest vote against the deposing of Kevin Rudd.

One woman said: "This is the first time I've ever not voted Labor.''

A total of 786 people voted on Thursday, with queues when the polls opened at 11am, then a steady trickle all day.

One swinging voter, Peter Bell, 43, of Caloundra, Queensland, said he had been following the campaign online and the Liberals had won his vote because of their economic policy.

"I think Labor [were] a bit soft when it came to the backdown on their climate change policy," Mr Bell said. "I don't like the way Julia Gillard came in. The Labor backroom political boys are very undemocratic ."

But Samantha Musumeci, 23, from Melbourne, voted Labor to ensure Australia's first female prime minister stayed in office. ''She took over when no one else would,'' she said. ''Kevin Rudd was on the bottom of the barrel and she dug her heels in."

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Almost 20,000 Australians are expected to visit the polling station in London by the time voting closes on Friday, London time. High commissioner John Dauth said: ''The turnout has been a bit slow but there is always a rush at the last minute. The election has received a certain amount of coverage here, especially when the television debate was moved because of MasterChef.''

Greg Richardson, the Australian Electoral Commission operations manager for Tasmania, said 49 people were expected to vote in Antarctica, with ballot papers emailed to the stations.

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