8 October 2004

Australian electors have been reminded that tomorrow, Saturday 9 October, is election day for the 2004 federal election.

This is the day that the majority of the over 13 million Australians on the electoral roll will be casting their vote, the Electoral Commissioner, Mr Andy Becker said.

“Tomorrow, 7,729 polling places around Australia will open for voting at 8am and will close at 6pm sharp,” he said.

Mr Becker said that voting trends at recent elections had shown that almost 60 per cent of electors voted between 9am and midday on election day.

“So to avoid the busiest period at a polling place, I’d suggest voting just after lunch or during the early afternoon,” he said.

“But whatever you do, don’t leave it until the last minute as polling places close at 6pm sharp.”

As election day falls within school holidays in several States and the ACT, thousands of electors had already cast an early vote at a pre-poll voting centre or via a postal vote.

“If you’re away from your home division but still within your home State or Territory and haven’t yet voted, you can cast an absent vote tomorrow at any polling place in that State or Territory,” Mr Becker said.

It is compulsory that every elector on the electoral roll votes in the 2004 federal election.

Details of the location of polling places are available from the AEC website at www.aec.gov.au or by calling the AEC call centre on 13 23 26.

Further information:

Brien Hallett
Assistant Commissioner,
Public Awareness, Media and Research
Ph. (02) 6271 4477
Mobile : 0413 274 798

Phil Diak
Director, Media and Communication
Ph. (02) 6271 4415
Mobile : 0413 452 539