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Proud Pies 
Joined: 22 Feb 2003
Location: Knox-ish
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| Post subject: Are you are Enrolled to vote |  |
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New laws came into effect on 31st March this year which makes it much harder to enrol to vote. (And wasn't it nice of the Federal Government to bring in these laws and not advise people, particularly when there is an election to be held this year!)
Previously you only needed one other person to witness your signature. This person didn't have to be on the electoral roll, but had to be eligible to vote and could be a member of your family.
Now, you need two unrelated people (to yourself), who have known you for a period of time and MUST be enrolled to vote to witness your signature. You also need to provide proof of identity (can't remember if it's 100 points or not).
Also, in previous years (well, since we've had an electoral roll system), when an election has been called, the rolls stay open for 2 weeks to enable people to enrol to vote. Now, these will be closed on the day that the Election is called.
Also if you've changed your address, ensure that you are enrolled in your current address, otherwise you may find that you have been removed from the Electoral Roll.
Enrolment on the Commonwealth electoral roll has been compulsory since 1911
MOre information is available here:
http://www.yourrightsatwork.com.au:81/community/showthread.php?t=2673&highlight=enrol+vote
http://www.aec.gov.au/_content/What/enrolment/faq_general.htm#1
What is the ‘close of rolls?’
The electoral roll is continuously updated, however, following the issue of the ‘writ’ for an election , which sets the election timetable, the roll for the election is closed. The roll for the election closes at 8.00 pm local time on the third working day after the writ is issued and cannot be updated after that date. The close of rolls for people newly enrolling or re-enrolling is 8:00pm on the day on which the writ is issued
And if your 17 you can enrol now, but cannot vote until you are 18.
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Jacqui © Proud Pies 2003 and beyond
Last edited by Proud Pies on Mon Apr 09, 2007 1:27 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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sherrife 
Victorian Socialists - people before profit
Joined: 18 Apr 2003
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Most f*cking ridiculous rules regarding the closure of the roll after election is called. NOBODY can see any purpose to this f*cking legislation, apart from howard wanting to discourage young (ie. generally much more idealistic people that are likely to vote greens, ALP, or dems)
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I would be ashamed to admit that I had risen from the ranks. When I rise it will be with the ranks... - Eugene Debs |
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David 
I dare you to try
Joined: 27 Jul 2003
Location: Andromeda
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I'm confused though... it's not like we really have a choice anyway. I thought you had to vote once you hit 18, what with it being a compulsory voting system and all that.
What would the point be in discouraging people to vote, when they have to vote anyway?
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All watched over by machines of loving grace |
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sherrife
Victorian Socialists - people before profit
Joined: 18 Apr 2003
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You are supposed to vote yes, but if you're not on the roll then you can't.
It's sort of a strange situation, i don't fully understand it, but I do know the reason he's making it harder, and that's all that counts.
arsehole.
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I would be ashamed to admit that I had risen from the ranks. When I rise it will be with the ranks... - Eugene Debs |
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Proud Pies
Joined: 22 Feb 2003
Location: Knox-ish
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There's no law that says you have to vote.
The Law actually states that you must be enrolled on the Electoral Roll (if you are eligible) and that during an election, you must have your name crossed off the roll. Doesn't mean you have to vote.
And yes, why exactly were these laws changed?
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Jacqui © Proud Pies 2003 and beyond |
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nomadjack
Joined: 27 Apr 2006
Location: Essendon
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| David wrote: | I'm confused though... it's not like we really have a choice anyway. I thought you had to vote once you hit 18, what with it being a compulsory voting system and all that.
What would the point be in discouraging people to vote, when they have to vote anyway? |
The point is purely to help win an election. Younger people are less likely to be enrolled to vote, and there is usually a youthful stampede to enrol once an election is called. The majority of these votes tend to go to the ALP either directly, or indirectly through the Greens via preferences. Therefore, preventing this group from enrolling means they can't vote, which helps the coalition. There is no other reason for this change. It is purely a tactical ploy driven by Andrew Robb. |
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Proud Pies
Joined: 22 Feb 2003
Location: Knox-ish
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I'm pretty sure that they have also changed the laws so that those in Prison cannot vote.
I'll get confirmation on that as well.
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Jacqui © Proud Pies 2003 and beyond |
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Joel 
Joined: 23 Mar 1999
Location: Mornington Peninsula
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| It's a consipiracy!! |
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David
I dare you to try
Joined: 27 Jul 2003
Location: Andromeda
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Well, OK, that's what you guys think, but that's sort of to be expected. I wonder if there is another reason why it's being done?
I'm not naive, and it wouldn't surprise me if there were underhand motives behind it, but it seems like you guys are just automatically assuming that is the case.
Surely there would have been a press conference where the Liberals tried to sell this idea. OK, they may well have been lying through their teeth, but then again they might have had quite a valid reason. Who knows?
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All watched over by machines of loving grace |
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sherrife
Victorian Socialists - people before profit
Joined: 18 Apr 2003
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| Quote: | Damaging Democracy?
Early Closure of Electoral Rolls
Marian Sawer*
Australia has long been a source of best practice in terms of non-partisan professionalism in electoral governance. Over the past decade, however, Australia has slipped behind comparator democracies in a number of areas, most notably the regulation of political finance. Proposals currently before the federal parliament, contained in the Electoral and Referendum Amendment (Electoral Integrity and Other Measures) Bill 2005, would further erode the quality of Australia's electoral governance. My focus here is on the early closure ofthe Commonwealth electoral roll |
http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache:K0pUxuxmgS8J:democratic.audit.anu.edu.au/papers/
20060308_sawer_dam_dem.pdf+enrolling+to+vote+reform&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=10&gl=au
| Quote: | The government justifies these changes by contending that the AEC does not have time to adequately process the details of people enrolling to vote or updating their details in that period between the issuing of the writ and polling day; hence, this leads to more errors on the electoral roll. That is the government’s claim. The AEC has said that the current seven-day arrangement does not prevent it from taking adequate steps to prevent fraudulent enrolment—in fact, quite the contrary. In relation to proposals to close the rolls early, the AEC, in a year 2000 submission to an inquiry into the integrity of the electoral roll, stated:
... the AEC expects the rolls to be less accurate because there will be less time for existing electors to correct their enrolments and for new enrolments to be received.
According to figures provided by the AEC, at the 2004 election over 280,000 people enrolled to vote or changed their enrolment in a substantive way in the seven days between the issuing of the writs and the close of the roll. This figure includes approximately 78,000 new enrollees, 78,000 people changing or updating their existing details, 96,000 people transferring intrastate and 30,000 people transferring interstate. So, under this government’s proposed changes, on the figures from the 2004 election, the ability of over 280,000 Australians to vote stands to be jeopardised. |
http://www.annette-ellis.alp.org.au/news/0506/speec10-01.php
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I would be ashamed to admit that I had risen from the ranks. When I rise it will be with the ranks... - Eugene Debs |
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nomadjack
Joined: 27 Apr 2006
Location: Essendon
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| This is an old issue David. The changes went through the normal parliamentrary committee process not long after the coalition took control of the Senate following the last federal election. You won't find a political scientist or commentator in Australia who will provide you with another 'positive' explanation for the changes. It was done purely for party political purposes and sold as 'maintaining the integrity of the electoral roll'. This is not to slag off at the government though. The ALP would have done the same sort of thing if it had control over both houses and has made partisan changes to electoral laws itself in the past. |
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eddiesmith 
Lets get ready to Rumble
Joined: 23 Nov 2004
Location: Lexus Centre
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| Fair enough changes, majority of kids these days would be signed up whilst at school anyway so the date doesnt matter, means people will sign up when they are able to instead of waiting for an election and then rushing to sign up on the Friday afternoon before the rolls close |
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Proud Pies
Joined: 22 Feb 2003
Location: Knox-ish
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| eddiesmith wrote: | | Fair enough changes, majority of kids these days would be signed up whilst at school anyway so the date doesnt matter, means people will sign up when they are able to instead of waiting for an election and then rushing to sign up on the Friday afternoon before the rolls close |
Perhaps, but a good majority of the electorates are NOT aware of the changes. I have been advising people that these changes were coming, since July last year, even though they didn't come into law until 31st March, but i can't get to all 280,000 of them!
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Jacqui © Proud Pies 2003 and beyond |
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Dragme
Screaming.
Joined: 09 Feb 2007
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I think 280,000 people who update their details the 7 days prior to the electoral role being closed is a staggering number.
I am not a fan of the proposed ID (medicare) card but you would think that these cards will also contain basic info like electoral role details on them.
No point putting info on these cards if its not up to date and current.
I don't think Jonny is doing this because he fears an election loss. More like big brother wanting to know where your at.
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Born, Live and Die a Magpie |
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sherrife
Victorian Socialists - people before profit
Joined: 18 Apr 2003
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| eddiesmith wrote: | | Fair enough changes, majority of kids these days would be signed up whilst at school anyway so the date doesnt matter, means people will sign up when they are able to instead of waiting for an election and then rushing to sign up on the Friday afternoon before the rolls close |
Let me respond with another quote: | Quote: | ... the AEC expects the rolls to be less accurate because there will be less time for existing electors to correct their enrolments and for new enrolments to be received.
According to figures provided by the AEC, at the 2004 election over 280,000 people enrolled to vote or changed their enrolment in a substantive way in the seven days between the issuing of the writs and the close of the roll |
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I would be ashamed to admit that I had risen from the ranks. When I rise it will be with the ranks... - Eugene Debs |
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