Telephone Voting Available

For the federal election on 7 September, voters who are vision impaired or blind will be able to cast their votes using the telephone. This will enable voters to independently cast their votes from any location, including the comfort of their own home.

The telephone voting system will involve voters dialling into a call centre. The ballot paper will be read out by a call centre operator and voters will advise their voting preferences. A second person will be present at the call centre to verify that the preferences are recorded as per the instructions of voters.

In order to use this voting method, eligible voters must register for accessible voting by telephoning the Blind and Low Vision call centre which will be set up by the Australian Electoral Commission.

To register:

Voters must register to cast their vote by telephone. Registration for telephone voting opens Monday 19 August and ends at 12 noon AEST on election day, Saturday 7 September 2013.

To register, voters need to call 1800 913 993. When a voter calls to register, they will be asked to select a PIN. Once registered, they will receive an acknowledgment letter at their enrolled address. The registration number can also be received by post, email, SMS or through a phone call.

Call to vote

Telephone voting starts on Tuesday 20 August and ends at 6pm AEST on Election Day, Saturday 7 September 2013.

To vote, registered voters will call 1800 913 993. They will not need to give their name. Their registration number and PIN will be used to mark their name off the electoral roll while protecting their privacy. It is important that voters do not forget their registration details.

For further details visit the Australian Electoral Commission here.

6 August 2013