As a scrutineer, you need a clear understanding of your role, including what you can and cannot do under the law. The handbook below is designed to help you, before, during and after election day, to be as effective as possible as a scrutineer. Remember, you can play a significant part in helping to ensure, as far as possible, that every vote cast in an election counts.

Becoming a scrutineer

For an election, scrutineers can be appointed by a candidate running in that election. For a referendum, scrutineers can be appointed by the Governor-General, the Governor of a State, the Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory, the Administrator of the Northern Territory (or persons authorised by those people to appoint scrutineers), and registered officers of a registered political party.

All scrutineers must sign the form linked below, which includes details about who has appointed the scrutineer and a list of undertakings that scrutineers must agree to. These undertakings are vital for ensuring that the proceedings you will observe are not disrupted and that official information is safeguarded.

Note: Failure to follow these undertakings may result in a scrutineer being removed from a polling place or counting centre. Serious cases involving the misuse of official information may result in prosecution.

Polling arrangements

The AEC will be providing a broad range of in-person polling services for the election. We encourage scrutineers to check in regularly to keep up to date as polling service arrangements are confirmed:

• Polling place locations
• Pre-poll voting centre locations and hours
• Mobile polling locations and hours
• Remote mobile polling locations and hours
• Overseas voting locations

Important information:

• Some communities where the AEC is offering remote voter services have entry protocols in place. These protocols vary between locations and may require a formal entry permit application to be submitted. Prior to attending a community, scrutineers should investigate if there is an entry protocol in place and what is needed prior to attendance.
• COVID safety measures may be in place for some locations where we are conducting mobile polling. Prisons also have entry protocols that need to be complied with, please contact the relevant prison or state department of corrections for further information.
• The AEC provides electronically assisted voting for electors who are blind or have low vision and for those registered as Antarctic electors.

Electoral information, as explained by AEC staff