Info
Voting Operations
VO003
Electors vote at
Question: Where can electors vote?
Answer(s):
b . At any polling station in the same voting district d . At specially designated polling stations e . At mobile polling stations f . By mail
Comments: 184A.
184A Application for registration as general postal voter
(1) An elector may apply to the Electoral Commissioner for registration as a general postal voter for a Division.
222.
(1) On polling day an elector is entitled to vote at any polling place for the Division for which he or she is enrolled or to vote as an absent voter, on making a declaration in an approved form, at any other polling place within the State or Territory for which he or she is enrolled at which a polling booth is open.
(1A) On polling day a person who is provisionally enrolled is entitled to vote as an absent voter, on making a declaration in an approved form, at any polling place within the State or Territory for which he or she is provisionally enrolled at which a polling booth is open (other than a polling place for the Division for which he or she is provisionally enrolled).
(2) Notwithstanding subsections (1) and (1A), where a hospital is a polling place, an elector is not entitled to vote at that polling place otherwise than under section 224 unless an appropriate person on the staff of the hospital has agreed to permit electors generally to vote at that polling place or unless the elector:
(a) is attending the hospital as a patient or as a genuine visitor of a patient; or
(b) performs functions or duties in the hospital.
227.
(2) The Electoral Commissioner may appoint persons to be members of mobile polling teams for the purposes of this section and, in respect of each team, a person to be the leader.
249. Antarctic electors
(1) An elector who is, or expects to be, in the course of employment, in Antarctica may, by notice given to the Electoral Commissioner, request that he or she be treated, while in Antarctica, as an Antarctic elector in relation to any election the polling day of which occurs while the elector is in Antarctica.
(Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918).
100.
(1) The Electoral Commissioner may, by notice in the Government
Gazette —
(a) appoint such polling places for regions and districts as
the Electoral Commissioner considers necessary;
[(b) deleted]
(c) appoint such other polling places as he thinks fit in any
institution or hospital, or both;
100A. Mobile portable ballot boxes at certain institutions and
hospitals, provision of etc.
(1) Where a polling place has been appointed under the provisions
of section 100, at any institution or hospital, the presiding
officer appointed under section 102(5), notwithstanding any
other provision of this Act, shall with another officer attend at
the polling place, at such times or during such hours as are
provided by subsection (2) with such number of mobile portable
ballot boxes as the Electoral Commissioner thinks fit and
approved by him for the purpose of affording an opportunity to
vote to every elector who —
(a) is for the time being resident in the institution or hospital
wherein the polling place is appointed to be; and
(b) by reason of illness or infirmity or in the case of a
woman, by reason of approaching maternity, is unable to
attend at another polling place to record his vote.
100B. Mobile portable ballot boxes in declared remote areas,
provision of etc.
(1) Where any area of the State is a remote area of the State for the
purposes of this Act by virtue of a declaration under
section 100(1)(e), the presiding officer and other officer appointed under section 102(5), notwithstanding any other
provision of this Act, shall attend at such places in the remote
area, and at such times in the period of 14 days up to and
including polling day, as the Electoral Commissioner thinks fit,
with such number of mobile portable ballot boxes as the
Electoral Commissioner thinks fit and approved by him for the
purpose of affording an opportunity to vote to every elector who
may have difficulty in attending at a polling place under usual
conditions.
(Western Australia Electoral Act 1907).
4.67. Where to vote in person
In a voting in person election —
(a) a vote (absent vote) may be cast before election day at the offices of another local government in such circumstances as are set out in regulations;
(b) a vote (early vote) may be cast before election day at the local government’s offices, or at a place notified for that
purpose in the election notice, in such circumstances as are set out in regulations;
(c) a vote in person on election day may be cast at a polling place appointed for the election.
(Local Government Act 1995).
Source: Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918, as amended on 8 March 2019, section 222, 227: https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2019C00103
Western Australia Electoral Act 1907, art. 100, 100A, 100B: https://www.legislation.wa.gov.au/legislation/statutes.nsf/main_mrtitle_290_homepage.html
Western Australia Local Government Act 1995, art. 4.67: https://www.legislation.wa.gov.au/legislation/statutes.nsf/main_mrtitle_551_homepage.html
Verified: 2019/08/02
VO004
Voting outside the country is permitted for
Question: Who can vote from outside the country?
Answer(s):
b . Citizens residing outside the country c . Citizens outside the country (including those on vacation) d . Members of the armed forces e . Students f . Diplomatic staff
Comments: 94.
(1) An elector who:
(a) is enrolled for a particular Subdivision of a Division; and
(b) has ceased to reside in Australia, or intends to cease to reside in Australia; and
(c) intends to resume residing in Australia (whether in that Subdivision or elsewhere) not later than 6 years after ceasing to reside in Australia;
may apply to be treated as an eligible overseas elector. The application must be in the approved form and signed by the elector, and must be made to the Electoral Commissioner.
184A.
(1) An elector may apply to the Electoral Commissioner for registration as a general postal voter for a Division.
(2) An application shall be made on one of the following grounds:
(i) the applicant is a defence member, or defence civilian, who is serving outside Australia;
(j) the applicant is an AFP officer or staff member who is serving outside Australia;
(k) the applicant is an eligible overseas elector.
Source: Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918, as amended on 8 March 2019, section 94, 184A: https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2019C00103
Verified: 2019/07/12
VO005
Locations for voting outside of the country
Question: If voting outside the country is permitted, at what places?
Answer(s):
a . Embassies b . Consulates e . By mail
Comments: Overseas Voting Centres are established at selected Australian Embassies, Consulates and High Commissions for each federal election.
(Australian Election Commission).
You can also vote by post.
183. Grounds of application for postal vote
A person may apply for a postal vote on any of the grounds set out in Schedule 2 (see Schedule 2; absence or inability to vote at polling station).
(Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918, section 183).
Source: Australian Election Commission: https://www.aec.gov.au/Voting/Ways_to_vote/overseas.htm
Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918, as amended on 8 March 2019, section 183: https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2019C00103
Verified: 2019/08/01
VO011
Voting method
Question: How do electors cast their votes?
Answer(s):
a . Manually marking of ballots d . Electronic voting machine g . Other
Comments: 202AB Regulations may provide for voting by an electronically assisted voting method
(1) The regulations may provide for sight-impaired people to vote by an electronically assisted voting method at general elections, Senate elections and by-elections.
233 Vote to be marked in private
(1) Except as otherwise prescribed the voter upon receipt of the ballot paper shall without delay:
(a) retire alone to some unoccupied compartment of the booth, and there, in private, mark his or her vote on the ballot paper;
(Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918, sections 202AB, 233).
128. Ballot paper, how to be marked by elector
(1) In an election where there are only 2 candidates on the ballot paper an elector shall mark his vote on the ballot paper by
placing the numeral “1” in the square opposite the name of the candidate for whom he votes.
129. Elector with disability etc., assistance for to vote
(1) If an elector cannot vote without assistance because the elector is sight impaired, physically incapacitated or illiterate, the elector may nominate a person (other than a candidate at the election or a scrutineer for a candidate) to assist the elector, and the nominated person must mark the elector’s ballot paper according to the directions of the elector and fold and deposit the ballot paper in the ballot box.
(Western Australia Electoral Act 1907, section 128, 129).
4.69. How to vote
(1) If only one office is to be filled at the election, an elector is to cast his or her vote by marking the ballot paper in accordance with regulations so as to indicate the candidate named on the ballot paper whom the elector wishes to be elected.
(Western Australia Local Government Act 1995, art. 4.69).
Source: Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918, as amended on 8 March 2019, section 202AB, 233: https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2019C00103
Western Australia Electoral Act 1907, art. 128, 128: https://www.legislation.wa.gov.au/legislation/statutes.nsf/main_mrtitle_290_homepage.html
Western Australia Local Government Act 1995, art. 4.69: https://www.legislation.wa.gov.au/legislation/statutes.nsf/main_mrtitle_551_homepage.html
Verified: 2019/08/02
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