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Australian Electoral Commission
| Legislation | Provision |
|---|---|
| Commonwealth Electoral Act 1902 (No. 19 of 1902) | Postal vote available to: electors more than 5 miles (8 kilometres) from the polling place for which they are enrolled, women expecting to be in ill-health, or an elector prevented by illness or infirmity from voting Absent vote available to electors to allow voting at any polling place within the division or within the State (if regulations allow). |
| Commonwealth Electoral Act 1911 (No 17 of 1911) | Postal voting abolished. Absent voting available: in advance of polling day at an Electoral Registrar's Office for an elector who expects not to be within any division on polling day, or to any other elector at any polling place in the Commonwealth on polling day. |
| Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 (No 27 of 1918) | Postal vote restored to electors who: are 10 miles or more (16 kilometres) from a polling place, or are travelling on polling day and unable to attend at a polling place, or are seriously ill or infirm, or a woman approaching childbirth and unable to attend at a polling place. Advance absent voting abolished. Absent vote on polling day available at any polling place in the Commonwealth. Provisional vote available to electors not on the certified list or struck out of the list. |
| Commonwealth Electoral Act 1919 (No 31 of 1919) | Postal vote made available to electors outside their enrolled State on polling day. Absent voting restricted to any polling place within the electors own State |
| Commonwealth Electoral Act 1922 (No 14 of 1922) | Provisional vote extended to electors whose name has been marked off the certified list as having already voted. |
| Commonwealth Electoral Act 1928 (No 17 of 1928) | Postal vote – allowed distance from polling place reduced to 5 miles (8 kilometres). |
| Commonwealth Electoral Act 1952 (No 106 of 1952) | Postal vote extended to applicants temporarily outside Australia. |
| Commonwealth Electoral Act 1961 (No 26 of 1961) | Postal vote reasons extended to include membership of a religious order or religious beliefs |
| Commonwealth Electoral Legislation Amendment Act 1983 (No 144 of 1983) | Postal vote reasons expanded to include electors in hospital and special hospitals, carers for the ill and infirm, electors in prison or in detention. Registration as a general postal voter introduced. Pre-poll voting in the form of an oral postal vote introduced. Removal of penalty for inducing an elector to apply for a postal vote. Provisional vote extended to silent electors. Allow enrolled electors leaving Australia for no more than 3 years to retain enrolment as an eligible overseas elector. |
| Electoral and Referendum Amendment Act 1990 (No 24 of 1990) | Postal vote reasons expanded to include silent electors and electors unable to attend a polling place for employment reasons. Pre-poll voting explicitly mentioned, grounds for application the same as for a postal vote. Provision of electronic copy of roll to parties. |
| Electoral and Referendum Amendment Act 1998 (No 94 of 1998) | Allow eligible Australians living overseas to enrol and obtain eligible overseas elector status. Increase period of registration of overseas elector status from 3 to 6 years. Allow parties and candidates to print approved postal vote application form in campaign material. |
| Commonwealth Electoral Amendment Act (No 1) 2000 (No 126 of 2000) | Electronic provision of additional elector information, including general postal voter indicator, to parties. |
| Electoral and Referendum Amendment Act (No 1) 2001 (No 34 of 2001) | Electronic provision of postal voter applications to parties following a general election. |
The AEC acknowledges the Traditional Owners of country throughout Australia and recognises their continuing connection to land, waters, culture and community. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.