As we race towards the federal election on Saturday 21 May, one key pandemic-inspired question has cropped up – how will those who are Covid positive cast their vote?
On Monday, the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) announced it would roll out a telephone voting system for those subject to isolation orders.
“We are working on a telephone voting option, which will be a first,” the AEC boss, Tom Rogers, told ABC Radio.
So how do people register?
With six weeks to go, the AEC is still fine-tuning the registration process but the digital engagement director, Evan Ekin-Smyth, said people with Covid would have three days to ring and get their vote in.
“The key thing to note with this service is that it is only for the final three voting days – Thursday, Friday and election day,” Ekin-Smyth said.
“Up until the Wednesday prior to election day, people are able to apply for a postal vote.”
What will the process be?
Voters with Covid will register and be issued with a unique code they use to cast their vote.
They can then call the AEC, use the code to identify themselves and tell the official how they wish to vote.
“The person taking the call will mark the ballot paper according to your wishes expressed on the phone,” Ekin-Smyth said.
“This process will be supervised and scrutineers will be able to observe, as they can for all voting methods.”
Will the whole ballot paper be read to the voter?
While the AEC does offer this for people who are blind or have low vision, Covid patients will have to study their ballot paper before they call.
This will reduce wait times, as a senate paper can be over one metre long in some states.
“We’ll be providing ballot paper recreations on our website for people to be able to study and come to us prepared on how they want to number their ballot paper – reducing call times and wait times,” Ekin-Smyth said.
Will it be an AEC official on the phone or a machine?
The AEC is employing thousands of new staff to run this operation so that when voters call they will be talking to a real person.
Can people who don’t have Covid do it?
“It will be limited in its eligibility criteria to people who have to isolate under health directions, and for the final three days only,” Ekin-Smyth said.
The AEC is currently working with health authorities to determine whether or not close contacts who are isolated will be provided with an exemption to vote.
“It will not be a smooth process,” Ekin-Smyth said.
“The wait on the phone will be longer than the wait at a polling place. People need to plan their vote this election and ensure they only access services that they are eligible to access.”
