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Joint Standing Committee on Electoral MattersInquiry into the 2007 Federal ElectionReport on the 2007 federal election electronic voting trialsInterim report of the inquiry into the conduct of the 2007 eleciton and matters related theretoPlease note: This page contains links to transcripts of Public Hearings and Submissions in Portable Document Format (PDF). If an alternative format (ie, hard copy or large print) is required, please contact the Committee Secretariat. To view or print the linked transcripts and submissions you will need Adobe Acrobat® PDF Reader, which can be downloaded free of charge from Adobe.®
March 2009 Canberra © Commonwealth of Australia 2009 ISBN 978-0-642-79149-8 (printed version) Contents
Chair's ForewordOne feature of the 2007 election was the conduct of two electronic voting trials; the
first a trial of electronically assisted voting for blind and vision impaired electors;
and the other, a trial of remote electronic voting for selected Australian Defence The trials had their origins in recommendations that the Joint Standing Committee
on Electoral Matters of the 41st parliament made in its review of the 2004 election.
The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) and its partners, including the
Department of Defence and non-government organisations representing or
providing services to people who are blind or have low vision, should be The combined costs of the trials was over $4 million, with an average cost per vote
cast of $2,597 for the trial of electronically assisted voting for blind and low vision
electors and $1,159 for the remote electronic voting trial for selected defence force The committee has recommended that electronically assisted voting for blind and vision impaired electors and remote electronic voting for Australian Defence Force personnel serving overseas be discontinued due to a combination of the unsustainable costs involved in the delivery of these solutions along with more general concerns about the low level of participation experienced during the trials and the ready availability of suitable alternate solutions. It is clear to the committee that there is a strong value placed by some electors who are blind or have low vision on the ability to cast an independent and secret vote. The committee recognises that those who support the continuation of electronically assisted voting will be disappointed in these recommendations. In this respect the committee expresses a degree of regret that it is unable to support continuation, however, the committee encourages the AEC and relevant advocacy organisations to explore other avenues for providing sustainable solutions to these problems into the future. In the interim, the committee has recommended that electronic magnifiers be deployed at sites where there is likely to be a demand for them. In respect of remote electronic voting for ADF personnel serving overseas, the committee accepts that electronic voting systems require substantial paper-based backup and that the use of two full systems, one electronic and one paper-based, places an unrealistic burden on the ADF. However, the committee remains concerned to ensure that all ADF personnel are provided with the opportunity to cast votes in federal elections where operational circumstances permit. The Assistant Returning Officer model under which pre-poll and postal voting arrangements will be facilitated appears to provide a realistic alternative to electronic voting and builds on processes already used effectively in the past. The committee recommends therefore that the ARO model proposed jointly by the AEC and Defence be utilised for future elections and that the legislative changes required to enable its use be made. The committee notes also that there have been suggestions that remote electronic voting may be used to allay difficulties faced by electors in remote areas of Australia who have been disenfranchised because of delays experienced in the return of postal votes to the AEC. The committee has taken much evidence on this particular aspect of postal voting at the 2007 federal election and possible solutions will be canvassed in the committee’s final report into the conduct of the 2007 federal election and related matters. Daryl Melham MP Membership of the Committee
Committee Secretariat
Terms of referenceOn 27 February 2008, the Special Minister of State requested the Committee to conduct an inquiry with the following terms of reference:
List of abbreviations
Summary and list of recommendations3 Trial of remote electronic voting for Australian Defence Force personnel serving overseasThe committee appreciates the work of the Department of Defence and the Australian Electoral Commission on conducting the remote electronic voting trial. Remote electronic voting may increase the likelihood that a vote cast by personnel serving overseas will be included in the count by avoiding some of the logistical delays that can be associated with the movement of paper‑based postal voting systems in areas of operation. That said, the cost of the trial for the 2,500 Australian Defence Force personnel who were eligible to participate in the trial, at $1,159 per vote, is relatively high compared to an average cost per elector of $8.36 at the 2007 federal election. The additional cost associated with electronic voting is not warranted, particularly if overseas deployments do not rise significantly from the current level of around 3,000 personnel across 12 areas of operation. Further, remote electronic voting imposes a significant additional burden on ADF personnel in operational areas. Under a purely paper-based system, the impact of operations on the likelihood of personnel being able to complete their vote is lower, as personnel have more opportunity to complete their vote without relying on the availability of terminals and a connection to the Defence Restricted Network. However, paper-based postal voting systems will continue to subject to the potential risks associated with delays in the delivery and return of mail from operational areas. On balance, a solely paper-based system is more reliable, and imposes fewer burdens on Australian Defence Force personnel in operational areas, than a system based on remote electronic voting which inevitably requires a paper-based backup. Remote electronic voting for Australian Defence Force personnel serving overseas should be discontinued and there should be a renewed focus on making paper-based systems more efficient than they currently are.
In addition to minimising impacts on operational areas, it is important that voting systems for defence force personnel deployed overseas provide flexibility both within and across areas of operation so that voting opportunities are maximised. The Assistant Returning Officer model proposed and supported by the Department of Defence and the Australian Electoral Commission appears to provide for maximising voting opportunities at the same time as increasing the likelihood that votes are returned in time to be included in the count. Such a model also gets the necessary ‘buy in’ by the Defence into the voting process. While voting will always be subject to operational requirements, it is important that voting receives sufficient attention and priority from the Department of Defence to ensure that systems are in place to facilitate voting wherever possible.
4 Trial of electronically assisted voting for electors who are blind or have low visionThe strong value placed by some electors who are blind or have low vision on their ability to cast a secret and independent vote is recognised by the committee. The ability to cast secret and independent votes in this way should be facilitated where practicable. That said, electors who are blind or have low vision are still able to cast a vote at an election with the assistance of a person of their choosing. An assisted vote, whilst not a secret and independent vote, still allows electors who are blind or have low vision to participate in the electoral process. The current cost of delivering electronically assisted voting for electors who are blind or have low vision, at $2.2 million or $2,597 per vote, compared to an average cost per elector of $8.36 at the 2007 federal election, appears to be unsustainable especially given the low participation in the trial. Extending eligibility to electors with a print disability appears to provide some opportunity to increase participation in electronically assisted voting. However, it does not appear that this can be done in a way that will drive average costs down to sustainable levels.
For some electors who have low vision, casting a secret and independent vote could be achieved using aids such as electronic magnifiers. The committee considers that electors who have low vision may benefit from the provision of such alternate facilities in accessible locations and should be able to do so where practicable.
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