Media Release 1998: Electoral Commission says 'Don't Waste Your Vote!'

25 September 1998

As polling Day approaches, the Electoral Commission is urging Australian electors to make their vote count.

The Electoral Commissioner, Mr Bill Gray, said that electors had to vote for all candidates on their green House of Representatives ballot paper in the order of their preference.

"I am concerned that a campaign encouraging electors to duplicate numbers on their ballot paper will confuse voters and result in wasted votes," Mr Gray said.

Mr Gray said that the law on this matter for House of Representatives ballot papers was straightforward.

"On the green ballot paper, an elector must vote for their first choice candidate by placing the number '1' in the box beside that candidate's name. The elector should then write the numbers '2', '3', '4' and so on as the case requires depending on how many names are on the ballot paper," Mr Gray said.

"The important message is not to repeat any numbers and not to leave any squares blank."

Mr Gray said that changes to the Electoral Act earlier this year meant that ballot papers where numbers were repeated would be informal and could not be counted.

"These informal ballot papers are wasted votes, which concerns the AEC because we want every vote to count," Mr Gray said.

Mr Gray said that the changes to the Electoral Act followed recommendations by the parliamentary Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters which had conducted a wide ranging and consultative inquiry into the conduct of the 1996 election.

Further Information

Brien Hallett
Phone: 02 6271 4415