More wool levy payers cast valid votes in this year's WoolPoll compared to 2015 according to the participation results released online at the WoolPoll website today.
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Voting for WoolPoll 2018 closed last Friday, November 2 after seven weeks of voting.
Traditionally the count isn't made public until the annual general meeting, but this year the tally of votes was kept in relative time, regularly updated on the WoolPoll website.
Today, the website showed the number of levy payers who voted was 13,506 out of an eligible 47,107 woolgrowers.
This figure is higher than the 12,912 that submitted votes in 2015.
The percentage of valid voters (forms) returned was 28.67pc compared to 31.83pc in 2015 and the percentage of valid votes returned came back at 55.92pc this year compared to 50.68pc three years ago.
WoolPoll voting was collated by independently of AWI by Link Market Services.
Those eligible to vote were those who had paid wool levies totalling $100 in the past three financial years.
The results of how levy payers voted will be announced at the AWI annual general meeting on November 23.
WoolPoll 2018 asked levy payers to consider five levy rate options – 3pc, 2.5pc, 2pc, 1.5pc and the mandatory 0pc.
The results come on the same day long standing AWI chair, Wal Merriman, stood down from the not-for-profit company.
The newly appointed chair of AWI, former deputy chair Collette Garnsey, said the company would soon announce the results of the WoolPoll vote of levy payers, whose payments support AWI's ongoing R and D and marketing roles.
The WoolPoll 2018 campaign had been marred with criticism from industry groups and stakeholders who claimed there was no need for two options above 2pc and the 1pc option should have been included for levy payers.
AWI's push for status quo on 2pc was also heavily criticised.
