'Stupid' or misled? Voters demand AEC explain booth's 45% informal vote
'Stupid' or misled? Voters demand AEC explain booth's 45% informal vote
Residents of a small NSW town say incorrect how-to-vote information from Australian Electoral Commission staff meant almost half their federal election ballots were invalid.
In short:
Almost half of those who voted in the federal election in a small northern NSW town had their votes declared invalid.
Residents who voted at the Missabotti voting centre say AEC staff provided them incorrect how-to-vote information.
What's next?
The AEC is investigating the allegations of voting misinformation.
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What I find more disturbing is that this could have happened anywhere. Do people really not read the instructions on the ballot?
I followed the instructions. I don't like those Arabic numerals so I used Roman instead.
Funnily enough, this would be a valid vote, under the rules. As long as it's abundantly obvious what the intended order is
If the Proctors of a ballot location give you incorrect information I don't think you can blame the voters.
Oh, to be clear, I think it's absolutely a problem when AEC staff are giving incorrect information. However, I'd like to think that if I were in the same situation I'd have the sense to trust the printed information over what some random temporary employee said.
Missabotti resident Spencer Parry said he, too, was given wrong information about how to vote, but decided to follow the instructions on the ballot paper to number every candidate.
Well at least one person did.
Apparently some people did, confronted the AEC staff about it, and were told to "just number 1-6".
Do people really not read the instructions on the ballot?
I never have. I already know how to vote, from over a decade of voting, and even longer of discussing elections and having an amateur interest in psephology.
I don't listen to what the AEC workers say either.
I already know how to vote, from over a decade of voting, and even longer of discussing elections and having an amateur interest in psephology.
Haha, well, yes, same. But imagining I'm the average disengaged voter who hasn't planned their vote ahead of time and I'm arriving at the polling place not totally clear on what I'm doing? I think I'd probably read the instructions. Maybe I'm kidding myself though.
Haha, well, yes, same. But imagining I'm the average disengaged voter who hasn't planned their vote ahead of time
If you've put that much thought into our democracy, does your vote matter anyway ?
But I do think AEC staff giving wrong info is terrible.