Pre-poll voting proved so popular in Calare during last month's federal election that changes to the voting process will be considered.
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Nationals candidate Andrew Gee was formally declared the winner in Orange on Thursday 26 days after the May 18 poll with an increased margin.
About 13,000 more people pre-polled in Calare in the three weeks leading up to election day than the Australian Electoral Commission expected. A total of 42,385 people pre-polled in Calare.
Mr Gee said shortening the pre-poll period or other changes to the electoral process were likely to be debated when federal parliament resumes.
"I think the public support the concept of pre-polling. It is certainly very popular but there does seem to be a consensus that three weeks is too long. I would agree with that, three weeks is too long. So it does need to be shortened," he said.
"When parliament is resumed I think that's something that will be looked at. It does change the dynamic of an election in that traditionally the election has been fought around one day with a bit of pre-polling beforehand but if you have three weeks or longer it turns into an election month.
"Because so many more people are pre-polling some of the booths were pretty quiet on election day," he said.
Mr Gee said it was also tough on party volunteers. "It is very hard on volunteers to man booths for three weeks, it's very hard," he said.
"Where it ends it is very hard to say. All of the political parties and all of the MPs will probably want to have a say in it. I think it is something that will be discussed when parliament is resumed."
Divisional returning officer for Calare Sandra Taylor said the increase in the number of people who voted in the electorate's four pre-poll booths had surprised staff forcing roster changes.
"[There were] probably around 12,000-13,000 more overall for the four pre-polls we had than we were expecting," she said.
"The first day on each one of them we got smashed and we just changed our whole staffing for the rest of that roster," she said.
Ms Taylor said 854 staff were used in Calare for the election with 8am and 10.30am the peak times at booths on election day.
On two-candidate preferred voting Mr Gee received 63.29 per cent of the vote, up by 1.48 per cent on the 2016 poll, with Labor's Jess Jennings on 36.71 per cent.
David Fitzsimons
I am a senior journalist at the Central Western Daily concentrating on council, government and real estate issues. Before moving to Orange I filled senior roles at the Daily Telegraph, Daily Telegraph-Mirror and the Daily Mirror in Sydney. They included being an editor, news editor, chief of staff and reporter.
I am a senior journalist at the Central Western Daily concentrating on council, government and real estate issues. Before moving to Orange I filled senior roles at the Daily Telegraph, Daily Telegraph-Mirror and the Daily Mirror in Sydney. They included being an editor, news editor, chief of staff and reporter.
