Voters want more time to enrol: survey

20 Jun 2010, 12:10 pm   -   Source: AAP
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A survey commissioned by activist group GetUp! shows that 96 per cent of Australians think the current law which gives people just one day to enroll once an election is called is not good enough.

A survey commissioned by activist group GetUp! shows that 96 per cent of Australians think the current law which gives people just one day to enroll once an election is called is not good enough.

An overwhelming majority of Australians believe people should be given more time to enrol to vote.

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An overwhelming majority of Australians believe people should be given more time to enrol to vote.
  
A survey commissioned by activist group GetUp! shows that 96 per cent of Australians think the current law which gives people just one day to enroll once an election is called is not good enough.
  
Labor wants to extend the enrolment period to seven days but the opposition has refused to support the change.
  
The Senate is set to vote on the electoral reforms this week.
  
"Without the opposition's support, the government will need the vote of Family First senator Steve Fielding to pass the changes," GetUp! national director Simon Sheikh said.
  
Mr Sheikh urged Senator Fielding to support the changes.
  
"Senator Fielding can either vote to give hundreds of thousands of young Australians a chance to participate this election, or he can vote to keep them out of polling booths."
 
The Auspoll survey of 1,500 people also found that most Australians (71 per cent) believe Labor's electoral reforms don't go far enough.
 
Of those surveyed, 44 per cent think voters should have several weeks, and 27 per cent would prefer the roll stay open until election day.
  
"In the internet age, when we can process our banking, our taxes and our passports online, surely there's no excuse for Australia to be stuck with a 19th century model of enrolment," Mr Sheikh said.
  
Figures from the Australian Electoral Commission show more than 1.4 million Australians are not on the electoral roll, with 70 per cent of those missing aged 18-39.
 

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Your Comments

Mr

Jim Jardine - from Katanning WA, 2 years ago

I agree that the time is stupidly short. Most people have busy lives and already have time commitments. i prefer a two week window to enroll and to make sure that enrolling places are advertised daily.

Voting enrolment

oncewas - from bribie island, 2 years ago

I understood that one was eligible to register for enrolment upon reaching the age of 18. Why not enrol then instead of waiting for an election to be announced and then complain about the timing. Unless of course your 18th birthday falls on the day the election is announced.

Voting Enrolment Deadline

Ken Little - from Brisbane, 2 years ago

The Howard Govt legislated to drastically reduce the enrolment deadline to our current one day. This copied the US Republican party initiative. At the time, various reports cited surveys showing this reduced potential votes from first time voters, certain racial groups and low income demographic sectors that were less likely to vote republican, or for the Coalition Govt in Australia. It should be asked - what is the point of this ridiculous deadline? Two to three weeks at least.

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