The basis of democracy in Australia is that each adult citizen has a right to vote.

The right to vote was denied to tens of thousands of Australians who live Overseas in the 2022 election by
the;

• Axing of 67 overseas polling stations by the Australian Electoral Commission in 2022.
• The Commonwealth Electoral act discriminating against overseas Australians by imposing
  different rules for overseas Australians that make it difficult to enroll and keep your vote.

At the last election only 39,816 overseas Australian voted. This is less than 7% of the approximately
577,255 Australians living permanently or working overseas, including 165,000 in London.

In a democracy that prides itself on a near universal voter participation, only 7% of any group of citizens being able to vote is unacceptable.

This submission details that in 2022 Federal;

• only 6% of overseas Australians were able to register to vote as overseas voter prior to the 2022
  election due to the discriminatory nature of Commonwealth Electoral Act making it harder for
  Overseas Australian to vote and the failure of the AEC to actively promote voting in Overseas
  citizens.
• 59.3% less people voted where the AEC axed in person voting, at the 69 overseas voting locations
  postal voting was the only option.

This submission calls for the:

1. Commonwealth Electoral Act to be amended so that Overseas voters can enroll to vote and stay
enrolled on the same basis as all citizens.
2. All overseas diplomatic missions operate as pre-polling stations for the same period as elections in
Australia.
3. That the AEC be mandated to actively promote enrollment and voting to overseas Australians.

You can read the submission in full here.