Electoral Roll Reminder

The Southern Cross Group emailed out a reminder to diasporans to make sure they are on the electoral roll early this year due to the changes in the Electoral Act last year which closes the rolls immediately after an election writ is issued.

From the email:

If you are not on the electoral roll, and need to enrol afresh, the rolls will close at 8 pm on the day on which the writ is issued for the election. The writ is usually issued the day the Prime Minister calls the election or the very next day.

If you are currently enrolled, but need to change your details with the Australian Electoral Commission, the rolls will close at 8 pm Australian time on the third working day after the writ is issued.

In the last election, 83,000 first-time voters enrolled in the first week after the election was called. Hundreds of thousands more registered at their new address, including many overseas Australians. But this time they won't get that chance.

Their email has a link to getup.org.au to gather signatures to have this law repealed. I do not think this is a good law, every opportunity should be given to anyone above the age of reason and under the jurisdiction of the government to be on the electoral roll. I think this law is needlessly discriminative and does not have suitable justification.

The diaspora have a tough time of it anyway, getting kicked off the rolls after three years if they skip a re-enrollment. Though this seems to be an archaic law that has never been updated to meet the changing nature of the modern diaspora.

cam

Permalink, Electoral Roll Reminder, Apr 2007, cam

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