Department of Finance and Deregulation - Australia : Latest Electoral Reforms pass through the House
08/23/2012| 03:42am US/Eastern
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GG 46/12
23 August 2012
Latest Electoral Reforms pass through the House
Measures to modernise the postal voting provisions of the
Commonwealth Electoral Actand improve the way postal vote
applications are made and processed were passed by the House
of Representatives today.
Special Minister of State Gary Gray said the Electoral
and Referendum Amendment (Improving Electoral Procedure)
Bill implemented recommendations made by the Joint
Standing Committee on Electoral Matters in its report into
the 2010 Federal election.
"At the 2010 election, the Electoral Commission processed
more than one million postal votes, which was a 17.8 per cent
increase in the number processed at the 2007 election," Mr
Gray said. "The amendments improve the way postal vote
applications are handled by enabling centralised electronic
processing and dispatch.
"They do not fundamentally change the existing policy
underpinning the current arrangements for postal voting."
Mr Gray said the amendments also included incentives to
reduce the size of ballot papers.
The Bill had cross-party support. It will now go to the
Senate for consideration. It is part of a package of reforms
that have been made to the Australian Electoral Act.
Earlier this year, the Parliament completed the passage of
two important laws to target 1.5 million Australians who are
entitled to vote but are not even on the roll.
The Electoral and Referendum Amendment (Maintaining
Address) Actand theElectoral and Referendum
Amendment (Protecting Elector Participation) Act
allow the Electoral Commission to enrol electors, or update
their details, by using reliable third party information.
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Media Contact:
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Website:
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John Arthur - 0408 991 261
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www.smos.gov.au
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