The Commission and the Advertiser received an anonymous letter boasting that a family - dubbed 'The Election Team' - fraudulently voted 159 times in the recent state election, with unauthorised use of the identities of other voters (allegedly people who were unwilling or unable to attend booths on polling day). The letter includes a claim that an underage member of the family was permitted to vote 31 times. The claims have not been substantiated
The letter indicates that the breach was inspired by a need for "electoral reform", including "strengthened identity checks".
There are individuals who are incapable of voting but they remain on the electoral roll. There are individuals who are absent. There are individuals who need assistance and are all too easily conned into giving up their right to vote.Sadly, the claim follows the second report by the national parliament's Joint Committee on Electoral Matters regarding the 2007 federal election. That report notes testimony by national Electoral Commissioner, Ed Killesteyn, at a public hearing in March last year, where he told the committee that an estimated 1.2 million electors were not on the electoral roll -
At the 2007 federal election an estimated 92.3 per cent of the total number of eligible voters were on the electoral roll. This represented an increase of 0.8 per cent on the estimated participation rate at the 2004 federal election. The enrolment participation rate has now dropped to a level of 91.63 per cent in spite of the increase in the number of electors currently on the electoral roll. Discussion of the participation rate in percentage terms, however, masks the true extent of the disenfranchisement that exists in the Australian community. We estimate there are about 1.2 million eligible voters currently not on the electoral roll, and who are therefore not able to exercise their franchise.The same report notes discussion about identity verification schemes, for example quoting a submission from Uniting Justice Australia arguing that -
changes in proof of identity requirements were unnecessary. It should be noted that an Australian Electoral Committee audit of South Australian voting following the 2001 election found no evidence of fraud, in a roll of over one million people. They were overly burdensome and a discouragement for those enrolling or changing their enrolment, particularly people with disabilities, the homeless, Indigenous Australians and older Australians.The Advertiser report coincides with debate in the national parliament about potential adoption of the NSW scheme for 'automatic enrolment' of people on the state electoral roll, driven by driver licensing and other data. Under NSW legislation the NSW electoral commission will contact people in writing (including by email or SMS), alerting them that they are going to be enrolled. People will have at least a week to correct the data.
The author/s of the SA letter threaten further breaches, indicating that -
We will continue to do this until changes are made to the Electoral Act which subsequently ensure a democratic outcome for all. That will include an end to compulsory voting and, within that, an end to compulsory preferential voting which demands a vote for an anti-abortionist and a pro-euthanasia group at the same time.Pro- and anti- euthanasia groups of course have a right to express their views, if that political communication is done in a lawful (for example peaceful) manner and an electoral system that respects such diversity might be cherished rather than subverted.
Opposition Leader Isobel Redmond, alas the same Redmond who appears to have been silent about the problematical electoral and anti-bikie legislation, is reported as saying that said she would move to strengthen voter identification requirements "as a matter of some urgency" when Parliament resumes.
That strengthening involves the 'nightclub model' - an invisible stamp (detectable under black lighting) on the paws of those who have voted or finger ink similar to that used in the Afghanistan elections.
It's a major potential for fraud and up to this point the Electoral Commission has relied on the honesty of people and this election shows that you can't trust people to be honest.
As it stands, there's nothing to stop people going from polling booth to polling booth, even as themselves, let alone as someone else.
The simple system is to get a black light-visible stamp that is put on your hand when you vote.
There have been elections won and lost on a single vote, so it doesn't take many (to change a result).
I have meanwhile been rereading Gunter v Hollingworth [2002] FCA 943 where
[17] The seventh and eighth respondents claim to appear as citizens of the Independent Sovereign State of Australia. The eighth respondent claims to be the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Independent Sovereign State of Australia and seeks to appear in that capacity. The seventh and eighth respondents support the petition and in addition seek the following additional orders :
"1. Citizens of God's State (ISSA) or Principality of Acworth or any other Principality ceded land mass are not Citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia and as citizens exempt from the following :
(a) Voting in any State or Federal Elections
(b) Payment of State Registration & insurance fees or charges
(c) Payment of Local Government rates fees or charges
(d) Payment of Commonwealth Government taxation
(e) God's State (ISSA) Citizenship Certificate-Driver License-Passport-Vehicle Registration & Insurance are lawful and binding on all State & Commonwealth Authorities."
