The growing problem of non-enrolment could be countered by taking the onus off voters and placing more emphasis on direct enrolment of would-be voters once they turn 18 (or earlier), according to QUT political scientist Professor Clive Bean.
Electoral rolls for the 2016 Federal Election will close at 8pm on May 23 and the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) has estimated almost one million eligible Australians are not enrolled to vote, including about half of the country’s 18-year-olds.
“The irony in Australia is that enrolment to vote is compulsory but it has to be done on the initiative of the voter, whereas in some countries enrolment is done automatically by the authorities,” Professor Bean said.
“In 2012 there was legislation passed to allow the AEC to directly enrol voters but it doesn’t seem to have stemmed the tide.
“I think it’s one of those things that’s easier said than done. You have to get the information from other sources, verify it, and notify people.
“There are some European countries where the government does automatically enrol new voters but they tend to be countries that have citizen ID systems which make it easier to know more about people and where they live.”
Professor Bean said the number of non-enrolments had grown steadily over the past decade – which had as much to do with technology as public apathy.
“Our ability to identify how many people aren’t on the roll is greater than it used to be,” he said.
“Also, the digital age and social media mean that young people are able to engage in public affairs in so many other ways, rather than having to use the traditional political channels.”
Professor Bean said it was important for the AEC to find effective ways and technology to implement the new laws enabling it to directly enrol voters.
“That will take time, so it’s also important for more targeted marketing to take place over a longer period of time. It’s not enough to just send someone a letter when they turn 16 to tell them they can now enrol to vote in preparation for being allowed to vote at 18 – a lot of 16-year-olds will miss those traditional forms of communicating.”
Media contact: Mechelle McMahon, QUT media officer, media@qut.edu.au
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