Electoral Amendment (Alternative Voting Procedures) Bill 2025 (No 4)

Thursday 3 April 2025

[11.41 a.m.]

Ms ARMITAGE (Launceston) - I believe it is an important step forward to ensure that people are able to exercise their right to vote without undue inconveniences or constraints on them brought about as a result of disability or inaccessibility.

As the Leader mentioned, the purpose of this bill is to enable the Tasmanian Electoral Commission to provide alternative ways to vote, such as telephone voting by electors who face barriers at polling places or by post. This includes Tasmanians who might have a print disability, vision‑impairment or blindness, physical dexterity difficulties, learning disabilities, brain injury, dementia, or who might have literacy issues. It also includes many people that just simply cannot get to the polling booth.

I remember at many previous elections, and not just my own, people contacting us to say, 'Can you get me a postal vote please? What can I do? I cannot get there.' I also recall knocking on a door to chat to people during a period when parliament is not sitting and several elderly people not knowing what they were going to do and being extremely concerned and worried that they could not get out to vote. They did not have a vehicle, they could not even get somewhere to post their ballot. They did not leave home particularly - they ordered their groceries - it has been a real worry for people. Then there are people going overseas. Let us say on certain occasions they can do a phone in, but there are circumstances where some people cannot do that, depending on whether they meet the requirements or not.

Also like the Leader, I would like to acknowledge the input of the groups and the individuals who have helped shape this policy, advocated on behalf of people with such barriers, and helped make this feel a reality today. Every citizen has a right to vote and it is up to us to make sure that exercising that right is as easily accessible as possible. In a world that is hostile and indifferent enough to people who have difficulties like these, the exercise of this basic right goes not only to citizenship, but personhood. We here know and recognise that everyone has a view and everyone has the right to express that view via the ballot box. Allowing barriers to accessing this right to stay in place is, therefore, allowing a barrier to a person being able to express their right to vote. This cannot be something we allow to continue.

We saw during the COVID pandemic how quickly we could pivot to alternative voting via social distancing, so we know it can be done. The TEC, as an institution, is highly trusted and regarded. We also know that currently, under the Electoral Act, electors in Antarctica, a remote area outside of Tasmania, are eligible to vote via a telephone service. The bill seeks merely to expand this access.

I understand a considerable amount of research has been done in drafting this bill, including an examination of how expanded access occurs in other jurisdictions. This bill will improve the TEC's responsiveness and flexibility to provide access to alternative forms of voting.

Importantly, to ensure that voting remains robust and confidential, and has a high degree of integrity, this bill also specifies that before approving alternative voting procedures, the TEC must be satisfied that any proposed system is practical and secure and can be appropriately resourced. This includes, as far as practical, to provide for the authentication of the vote, as well the preservation of the secrecy of the elector's vote.

The Leader specified that an accessibility and inclusion organisation may request the TEC regarding the need for alternative voting procedures. The TEC can also act on its own motion to approve alternative voting procedures which cover all circumstances that may arise. The new section 130C provides for the TEC to consult with appropriate organisations in considering and making alternative voting procedures, ensuring that the very people you are supposed to help are actively involved in the decisions and processes that concern them.

I pause here, Leader, to ask a question about resourcing and to put it on the record; can the Leader please advise how the TEC will be resourced to investigate these matters? What sort of guidelines will the TEC be required to use in these investigations? Finally, accessibility and inclusion organisations will likely need to commit a fair bit of time and resources to consulting with the TEC on these matters; how will this process minimise the burden on these organisations during consultation?

The bill in principle is a very important one and I am very pleased to see expanded access and enfranchisement for all Tasmanians, regardless of their abilities. Everyone deserves a say and we have that right as citizens no matter what. It is not unreasonable to give a person with a quiet voice a microphone and this bill does just that, in which case it has my full support.