Fake how-to-vote cards distributed to polling centres purportedly for Darwin mayoral candidate Amye Un and another candidate that had their preferences altered has led to an NT Electoral Commission investigation, with the Territory’s anti-corruption body also briefed on the situation, as current mayoral frontrunner Peter Styles and candidate Leah Potter face allegations of breaching the Electoral Act.

Mayoral candidate Vicki Bonson has also come forward to say unofficial how-to-vote cards were printed for her as well, as part of a political arrangement involving offers to have the materials paid for, but her name was spelled incorrectly.

Ms Un told the NT Independent Mr Styles approached her on August 7 to ask her to preference him number two on her how-to-vote card, stating that “Kon [Vatskalis] has to go”. She said she told him she would think about it and received another call the following day but said she had not decided.

The next day, on August 9, Ms Un said she received a call from Leah Potter asking her to put Mr Styles number two, telling her to “hurry up” and decide because Mr Styles had offered to pay for the printing of the how-to-vote cards.

Ms Un said when she received another call from Ms Potter, she told her “no, Leah, no” and that her “campaign team made the decision” not to preference Mr Styles.

But on August 22, the last day of early polling, Ms Un said Mr Styles’s wife Linda Fazldeen walked into an early polling centre with a box of how-to-vote cards that showed Mr Styles in the number two spot, while her official how-to-vote card had Mr Styles listed at number four.

The fake how-to-vote cards stated they were authorised by Ms Un, but without a proper address listed, and “printed by Officeworks”. Ms Un’s official campaign material contained her proper address and stated they were printed by Top End Print.

Ms Un said she confronted Ms Fazldeen and told her to get rid of the fraudulent how-to-vote cards. Ms Un said they had been distributed to the Darwin Entertainment Centre early polling centre and to the Casuarina Library early polling centre. It is unclear if they were displayed as her official material, but a photo shows they were on a table at the Casuarina Library.

“I want to know who the ring leader is,” Ms Un said. “I want to know how much money Peter gave Leah [for the cards].”

Mr Styles did not immediately respond to the NT Independent’s phone calls and text messages.

Darwin mayoral candidate Vicki Bonson said she was also approached by Mr Styles with the same offer to have her material printed if she put him number two.

Two different how-to-vote cards produced for Amye Un.

She told the NT Independent she agreed to the deal with Ms Potter taking charge of the printing, but she did not receive the cards until the Saturday morning.

“When I looked at them, I noticed that my name was spelled incorrectly,” Ms Bonson said. “And she had used a different photo of me as well.

“I’m lucky that I used my own initiative and had my own printed because she had only printed 200 HTV cards for me to use and that’s clearly not enough at all.

“When we approached Leah about it all, she tried to tell us she didn’t know anything and to stop with the bickering in front of people who were there to vote. When I spoke with Peter Styles later in the day, he didn’t know what Leah had done because he left it all in her hands.”

She added she knew “something wasn’t right about the whole thing”.

Ms Potter said the scheme was her idea and that Mr Styles did not end up providing her with any money, although he did offer to pay for the how-to-vote cards for the three women.

“I take full responsibility,” Ms Potter said. “But none [of the fake cards] were given out so no harm was done.

“Peter offered to help all of us and he did offer to print. In the end we ran out of time and I printed them on my Officeworks account.

“He did offer to print at some stage. He offered to help because I didn’t have any money.

“He lent us all A-frames, as well.”

It is unclear if any of the fake cards were handed out or how long they were on the table at the early polling centres.

Under the Electoral Act, donations of $200 or more must be disclosed, as well as any loans of $1500 or more.

The lending of the A-frames may also be considered a gift-in-kind, which would also have to be disclosed.

Failure to properly authorise campaign material is also subject to a fine of 100 penalty units or $18,900.

The NT Electoral Commission said it was reviewing the situation as a “matter of priority”.

“Whilst the NTEC has not received a written complaint from either of the affected candidates regarding the matter, regular reporting arrangements are in place between the NTEC and ICAC during elections and this issue has been discussed as part of those arrangements,” said NTEC spokesman Kostas Trikilis.

“At this stage as the matter is under review, no further comment can be provided.

“For your awareness, candidates in the 2025 Local Government Elections must follow rules for reporting donations and loans. Donation disclosure requirements are in place to increase the transparency of election campaigns and to reduce undue influence in the electoral process.

“Campaign material must be authorised by the person or entity that produces them.”

Mr Styles responded to the NT Independent two days after he was contacted to say that he has lodged a complaint with the NTEC, but did not specify the nature of his complaint.

“I am looking forward to being interviewed in the NTEC process,” he said in a statement. “However, as these matters are part of an ongoing investigation, I feel that it is inappropriate to for me to make public comment.’

He added he would have more to say when the investigation is concluded.

Mr Styles is currently leading incumbent Kon Vatskalis with 6,626 votes, compared to Mr Vatskalis on 6,074. Preferences will be distributed on Friday after the deadline for postal ballots, with the official results finalised on Monday.

Note: This story was updated to include Peter Styles’s comments