aec.gov.au Prisoners Enrollment : Australian Electoral Commission

Organisation : Australian Electoral Commission
Facility : Prisoners Enrollment
Applicable For : Prisoners
Country : Australia
Details : http://www.aec.gov.au/Enrolling_to_vote/Special_Category/Prisoners.htm

AEC Prisoners Enrollment

It is compulsory for you to enrol for federal elections if you are0
** 18 years of age or over, and

Related : AEC Australia How to Register as Postal Voter : www.electionin.org/142.html

** an Australian citizen (or a British subject who was on the Commonwealth electoral roll on 25 January 1984).

If you are serving a full-time prison sentence of less than three years you can vote in federal elections.

If your sentence is three years or longer, you can remain on the roll but you are not entitled to vote until you are released from prison.

How can I vote while I’m in prison?
You can vote by post or a mobile voting team may visit your prison in the two weeks before the election day so you can vote.

To vote by post, you can register as a general postal voter on this form. This means at the time of an election your ballot papers will be automatically sent to your postal address.

Do I have to enrol and vote in state and local government elections?
The enrolment and voting obligations for people in prison are different in each state and territory. Please refer to the relevant state or territory enrolment form below for more information

Who can use this form?

You can use this form to enrol for federal elections if you are :
** 18 years of age or older, and
** an Australian citizen or a British subject who was on a Commonwealth roll on 25 January 1984, and
** serving a full-time prison sentence.

If you were already enrolled when you started serving your sentence, by completing this form you are advising us that you are absent from your enrolled address and will not be removed from the roll while you are in prison.

You can check whether you are currently enrolled on the AEC website at aec.gov.au or call 13 23 26.

Is it compulsory to enrol and vote?
Yes, if you are 18 or older it is compulsory to enrol and vote for federal elections and referendums. However you can only vote in federal elections if you are serving a full-time prison sentence of less than three years.

You can enrol and vote in NSW state and local government elections only if you are serving a prison sentence of less than 12 months.

In which division can you enrol?
You must enrol for the address where :
A you were last eligible to be enrolled (this will generally be the place where you last lived for at least one month), or
B one of your next of kin is currently enrolled if you have not previously been eligible to enrol, or
C you were born, if neither of the above apply, or
D you have the closest connection if none of the above apply.

Within three weeks of receiving your enrolment form the AEC will confirm your enrolment. We may seek further information from you and confirm your enrolment using any of the contact details you provide.

What are your voting options?

You have two options and the AEC recommends Option 1 :
Option 1 – select the ‘No’ box at question 7 and the AEC will provide you with a Postal Vote Application when they become available prior to an election.

Option 2 – select the ‘Yes’ box at question 7 to register as a general postal voter and ballot papers will be sent to your current postal address when a federal or NSW state or local government election or referendum is held.

What happens when you are released?
After your release you must complete a new enrolment form to advise us of your new address so that we can update the electoral roll. You can get an enrolment form at any Australia Post outlet or at aec.gov.au

Who has access to your enrolment information?

The Commonwealth of Australia

The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) is authorised under the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 (CEA) to collect and verify the information you have been asked to complete on this form. The information provided will assist the AEC to maintain electoral rolls. The AEC may disclose electoral information to persons or organisations in accordance with the CEA.

This may include :
** access to the publicly available electoral roll (containing names and addresses) which may be inspected at electoral offices
** state and territory electoral authorities
** Members of Parliament, Senators, registered political parties, and candidates for the House of Representatives
** approved medical research and public health screening programs
** any agencies, persons or organisations prescribed in the Electoral and Referendum Regulation 2016.

The State of New South Wales

The New South Wales Electoral Commission is authorised under the New South Wales Parliamentary Electorates and Elections Act 1912 to collect and provide such electoral information as title, name and postal address, date of birth, gender and electoral area to

** Members of State Parliament and registered political parties
** groups and candidates participating in the electoral process – date of birth is not provided
** certain health screening programs – within National Health and Medical Research Council guidelines
** State agencies – including NSW Police, Sheriff’s Office, ICAC, Department of Fair Trading, NSW Crime Commission and Office of State Revenue.