27 July 2010 11:00
Confused and upset with overseas voting procedures? You're not alone
Many Australians in London and overseas are fed-up with the conflicting information and tight deadlines that have issued from various organisations about registering to vote from overseas. The good news is, if you are now on the roll on the AEC site, you can vote.
By Vivienne Hill
The opportunity has now passed for Australians who want to enrol to vote or register as on overseas voter but the procedures involved have come under intense scrutiny from expats everywhere in the past week.
While government issued guidlines were that you "should" register as an overseas voter, the reality is that if you are now on the roll with the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC), registered as an overseas voter or not, you can vote in the election. You can check on the AEC database, whether you are enrolled, here.
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Expat vote vital
With one million Australians overseas at any one time, the Australian diaspora hold the potential to decide the outcome of key seats back home, making the right for Australian expats to vote from abroad a vital one.
The importance of offshore voting can be seen at Australia House in London during election time which takes in about twenty thousand votes alone, more than any other polling station within Australia.
Voter confusion reigns
Since the July 17 calling of the federal election for Saturday August 21, Australians overseas had just three days to join the electoral role - two of those days falling on the weekend – and five days to register as an overseas voter.
Roland Chan Morris, an Australian expat living in Cambridge, summed up his disappointment with the system in a letter to the Sydney Morning Herald explaining the difficulty he faced when trying to join the electoral role and/or register as an overseas voter from the UK.
“My registration had to be in by fax by 8pm yesterday (Monday morning, July 19 in Europe), with two out of three days to register falling on a weekend, when post offices are closed,” he said.
“I don't know anyone who has a fax machine any more.
“My identity also had to be verified by an authorised person in Australia, or two people who know me - impossible in such a short time if I was travelling alone.
“Of course, you could argue this is my fault for not getting around to registering earlier.
"On the other hand, unregistered voters should be given the greatest possible chance to exercise their right (and, in a compulsory voting system, obligation) to vote, as they were before the deadline was shortened in 2007.”
Typifying the confusion many expats have experienced, Mr Morris unfortunately didn’t seem to realise that he could in fact scan and email the completed documents and may even have been confused between ‘enrolling’ to vote which closed on the Monday and ‘registering’ as an overseas voter who is already enrolled, which didn’t close until Thursday last week.
Conflicting messages
In addition to the tight enrolment and registration deadlines, another issue expats have had with the system are the seemingly conflicting messages the websites of various government and political organisations put out to potential voters about enrolment and registration rules.
Australian Times has even observed several websites’ information changing throughout the past week as they seek to clarify the confusing rules.
The ALP abroad website states that: "Overseas Australians must enrol as overseas voters within three years of leaving Australia or lose the right to vote when living abroad."
However, this could be interpreted as being inconsistent with the AEC website which states: “You do not have to register as an overseas elector to vote however, you should register to ensure that your name remains on the roll in your absence.”
Phil Diak, spokesman for the Australian Electoral Commission, also told the ABC in a radio discussion last week that all Australians must ensure they stay on the electoral role or provide a relevant excuse for why they can’t partake.
The AEC website also states that Australians who are registered to vote in Australia and fail to have their say on election day will receive a letter requesting that they either provide a reason for their failure to vote or pay a $20 penalty and possibly incur a court summons and further fines.
It is not compulsory to vote if you are overseas. But if you are enrolled, you should advise the AEC that this is the case to avoid being fined.
All enrolled voters can vote
Fortunately, there is still a light at the end of the tunnel for those who are on the electoral role in Australia but haven’t registered as an overseas voter.
Sources have confirmed to Australian Times that although the AEC website said you “should register”, that in practice, registering as an overseas voter simply helps to prevent your name being removed from the electoral roll while you are away, if they happen to check the role at your residence.
The source confirmed that for this election, if you check your enrolment on the AEC website and you are on the roll, then you can vote in the election on August 21, either in person or by postal vote.
Voting in person
The Australian High Commission in London - Australia House - will be conducting voting every day from August 9 till August 20 (excluding 15 August).
Click here for the complete details and timetable of when Australia House is open for voting in person.
Postal voting
For postal votes, Australia House will be accepting applications until 5pm August 18 but they advise to do it as early as possible to be sure that you recieve your ballot papers in enough time.
You can get a postal vote application fromAustralia House or download the application form here to fill out and send to Australia House.
They will then send out ballot papers to the address you requested.
The Australian High Commission has informed Australian Times that the completed ballots must be returned with a postmark dated no later than August 20.
ALP Abroad deplores confusing overseas rules
Australian Times asked Paul Smith, president of the Australian Labor International Supporters Network (ALP Abroad) to comment on the issue of Australian overseas voters.
Mr Smith described the current enrolment and overseas registration situation as "confusing" and "frankly, unacceptable".
"The Labor Party is committed to changing this, while the Coalition is opposed", he told Australian Times.
"We are committed to making it easier and simpler if we win the election and have a better position in the Senate."
In recent elections fewer than ten per cent of Australians living outside the country have cast a vote.
What do you think about the voting enrolment and registration rules? Comment below to have your say.
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