There are
also other, less far-reaching ways in which electronic means—among them the
Internet—can be used to facilitate voting from abroad. The range goes from
providing information to facilitating different steps of the voting process
without going so far as to allow voters to cast their ballot electronically. This
section highlights some examples.
Australia
Electors
abroad can do different things by fax: enrol to vote; apply to become an
‘eligible overseas elector’; enrol as spouse or child of an eligible overseas
elector; enrol as an ‘itinerant elector’; or apply for a postal vote.
New Zealand
Overseas
electors can download their ballot paper, declaration and supporting
documentation from the Internet starting three weeks before election day.
However, they cannot return the ballot papers electronically or vote by email,
as the website of Elections New Zealand emphasizes. Only overseas electors are allowed to download the ballot paper.
Completed ballot papers can be returned by fax or ordinary post. Only voters
abroad are allowed to fax their ballot papers; if a ballot paper is faxed from
within New Zealand,
the vote will not be counted.
Singapore
Singapore offers overseas electors the
possibility of filling out a registration form online. However, the form cannot
be transmitted over the Internet, but has to be printed out, signed and sent to
the Elections Department or any overseas registration centre by registered
post. Registered overseas electors are assigned to vote at one of the overseas
polling stations (located within Singapore’s high commissions,
embassies or consulates). If the elector does not remember which his polling
station is, he can find out online.
