ALP Abroad Co-President Paul Smith said " It is time to right a great wrong and allow the 1 million australians that live overseas exactly the same right to vote as their fellow Australians at home. The current rules mean only 22,000 of the 1 million Australians overseas are enrolled to vote as overseas voters and this discrimination must end"
ALP Abroad welcomes all the measures proposed in the governents green paper for strengthening the voting rights of Australian citizens living overseas, and makes additional suggestions.
Our attached submission(see right) makes a number of recommendations to change the governance and conduct of future elections so that overseas Australians have the same democratic rights as Australians at home.
It makes recommendations covering these areas:
• Specific changes to Commonwealth Electoral Act relating to overseas voting
to ensure that all overseas Australians can vote and that enrolling to vote as an overseas voter is made as easy as possible.
• The AEC be given a specific remit and sufficient funds to promote the
enrolment of Australians as overseas voters.
• The AEC be responsible for all aspects of the conduct of all overseas polling
stations and direct the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade staff as on aspects of operation of polling stations.
• That the number and times of operation of overseas polling station be
expanded.
• That internet voting be introduced for registered overseas voters as an option
for voters who cannot vote in person or do not have time to obtain a postal vote and that people’s voting details should be able to be updated online
