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Summer 2006

ENROL TO VOTE NOW OR YOU MAY MISS OUT!

As a result of amendments to the Commonwealth Electoral Act members are urged to enrol to vote if you are not currently on the roll or if you have changed your name or address since the last election.

Amendments to the Commonwealth Electoral Act rushed through both houses of Parliament could result in you being denied the chance to vote at the next election.

The Howard Government has used its majority in both Houses of Parliament to push through legislation that could result in thousands of Australians being denied the right to vote at the next
election.

The most significant of the amendments reduces the time people have to either enroll to vote for the first time or if already enrolled to change their details such as their name or address.

Closure of the Roll.

Prior to the amendments the electoral roll was closed seven days after the writ was issues. The writ is the authority to hold an election and is normally issued within a day or two of the election being called by the Prime Minister. (in 2004 the writ was issued on the Tuesday after the election
was called on the previous Sunday)

This meant that people not enrolled to vote had at least seven days to enrol and/or change their enrolment details, e.g. change of name or address etc.

The recent amendments will now mean the roll will close at 8.00 pm on the day the writ is issued for those wanting to enrol for the first time and at 8.00 pm three days after the writ is issued for those already on the roll but wishing to change their details.

So, if an election is called on Sunday and the writ is issued on the following Tuesday those who are not yet enrolled to vote have until 8.00 pm on the Tuesday to enrol to vote. Those people who wish to change their details have until 8.00 pm on the following Friday to do so. After these dates no new enrolments will be accepted.

It is interesting to note that at the last election in 2004 the Australian Electoral Commission processed 423, 993 amendments to enrolment details (including 80,000 new enrolments) in the seven days between the writ being issued and the closure of the roll. Potentially this means that this number of would be voters could be disallowed from voting as a result of the amendments.

Tighter Proof of Identity Requirements

New voters wishing to enrol will now face much tighter proof of identity requirements.

Enrolling voters must now prove their identity by providing a driver's licence or, if they do not have a licence, a "prescribed identity document", or a form signed by two witnesses who are not related to the enroller and who have known the person for more than a month and who can confirm their own identity with a driver's licence.

Prisoners Disallowed

People who are serving fulltime custodial sentences will no longer be allowed to vote. Irrespective of the offence committed if a person is serving a full time sentence when an election is held they will not be allowed to vote.
People serving periodic detention and those on remand will still be eligible to vote.

There is no justification for these changes to the Electoral act, the system has worked well in the past and one must question the Howard Government's motives for making it more difficult for people to enroll to vote.

The Special Minister for State Gary Nairn has attempted to justify the changes, stating that the amendments will make it easier for the AEC to process enrolments and other changes to personal details. Interestingly, at the Senate Committee examining these amendments the AEC stated they had not experienced any difficulties in processing new applications or changes of details in the past.

To avoid missing out on your say at the next election enrol now. You can check your details at the Electoral Commission website www.aec.gov.au or ring them on 13 23 26