00:02After months of smiling faces adorning roadsides and fences,
00:07more than half of Tasmania's voters have returned their council election ballot papers.
00:12The issues deciding votes are close to home.
00:15I suppose the decline of the town, so many empty shops around.
00:20Trying to find a car park is such a frustration every single day.
00:24Gutters down to the road, bumpy footpaths, there are stairs and no ramps.
00:33The election offers a chance to highlight problems voters want their next council to fix.
00:38A cricket club on Hobart's eastern shore says they've been told their annual ground fee could nearly double.
00:44They've been urging candidates to commit to being more supportive of local sports clubs.
00:49What the election is doing is it's providing us that platform to get them engaged.
00:54A shake-up is likely in most town halls with 50 fewer councillors to be elected statewide.
01:01I think you'll find you'll have more dedicated, determined councillors standing
01:06because they really have belief in their community.
01:11Eight current mayors aren't recontesting, including Hobart's Lord Mayor and Georgetown's Greg Kieser.
01:17He says a mayoral swap can cause disruption if the replacement doesn't have enough experience.
01:24For them, a step into the mayoral role is going to be quite frictional and quite challenging.
01:31It's not to say it's impossible.
01:32Earlier this week, the electoral commission said fewer votes had been returned
01:36compared to the same time during the last council elections.
01:42It's too late now to post your ballot, so make sure you drop it off at your local council office
01:47by 2pm on Tuesday instead.
01:493.
01:52City of the GoldenCoach
01:525.
