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High Court upholds constitutional challenge

Activist organisation GetUp has won its constitutional challenge to electoral laws, meaning 100,000 Australians who missed the deadline to enrol to vote will now be able to cast their ballots on August 21.

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The High Court of Canberra Source: (stock)

Activist organisation GetUp has won its constitutional challenge to electoral laws, meaning 100,000 Australians who missed the deadline to enrol to vote will now be able to cast their ballots on August 21.

The lobby group was challenging the 2006 amendments to Australia's Electoral Act, made by the former Howard government, which closed electoral rolls on the day the writs of election were issued.

Prior to the 2006 amendments, Australians had seven days to enrol or update their details after the writs were issued.

Sam McLean from GetUp says the ruling is a win for democracy.

He says it proves that in Australia voting "is for all, not just for some".

Mr McLean says the Australian Electoral Commission will contact the 100,000 who missed the deadline, but enrolled within a week of the writs being issued.

He says the Commission has 150 staff set aside for this task.

The case was brought to the High Court by two plaintiffs, Doug Thompson and Shannen Rowe.

Neither plaintiff enrolled before the 8pm deadline, but attempted to do within seven days of the electoral writs being issued.

After winning the case, both plaintiffs - and the thousands of others who missed the deadline - will be able to vote in this month's federal election.

The High Court did not immediately issue the reasons for invalidating the 2006 amendments.


2 min read

Published

Updated

By Shalailah Medhora

Source: SBS


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