The Australian Electoral Commission(AEC) have axed 67 in person overseas polling booths for this Federal election leaving 32,193 voters without a polling station. The axing of the polling places where 52% of overseas votes were cast in 2019 has been subject of a formal complaint by ALP Abroad to the AEC about their failure in their core role established by parliament to “deliver the franchise: that is, an Australian citizen's right to vote” for overseas Australian’s.

The right of citizens to vote in person is sacred and any decision that impacts that fundamental right requires the highest degree of transparency. 

ALP Abroad have formally written to the AEC Commissioner Tom Rogers requesting,

• the process by which the AEC determined which stations to close or remain open for each individual location,
• the basis on which the determination was made for each location to close or remain open.
• In providing the reason for the closure, please indicate who was involved in the decision and how the public was consulted. Each decision to close a polling station should refer to how this maximises electoral participation with reference to the Australian Electoral Commissions role to “deliver the franchise: that is, an Australian citizen's right to vote”

The AEC Commissioner has not answered these questions but AEC generally tried to blame the Covid pandemic.

Reading the list of stations to be axed, it is clear that there is no compelling public health case for example to.  

• Close Washington, Los Angeles and Chicago while keeping open New York and San Francisco
• Close Wellington while keeping open Auckland
• Close Singapore, one of our largest overseas booths, where the Covid situation is no worse than Australia’s
• Close all three Canadian polling stations where Covid is no worse than Australia.

The AEC axing of overseas polling stations has put bureaucratic convenience over the upholding the right of Australians to vote

Overseas voters  can write directly to the AEC at [email protected] and tweet your protest at them at @AusElectoralCom

Overseas voters whose polling stations has are strongly encouraged to apply for a postal vote.