Following the announcement by the AEC today, and ahead of the budget, GetUp is calling for more action to be done to increase voter enrolment and participation in Australian politics within First Nations communities.
GetUp conducted an analysis after the conclusion of the 2022 federal election and found that the reduction in the number of AEC staff working in First Nations electorates meant that polling sites are only open for a very small period of time in some cases for one hour, and as a result was more difficult for First Nations peoples to vote, even if they were enrolled.
GetUp CEO, Larissa Baldwin-Roberts said:
“The Albanese Government has already committed $16.1 million to start to address the enrolment issues, which we welcome, but we know that increased enrolment in First Nations communities does not necessarily translate to increased voter turnout.
“We saw that while enrolment numbers had increased across the board for First Nations communities, voter turnout for the 2022 federal election had decreased significantly from the previous election.
“During the federal election the AEC, in some cases, only turned out to community for an hour - we need to ensure these electoral booths are a top priority during the referendum vote and the booths are fully operational before or on voting day, as we continue to prioritise our work to ensure communities turn out to vote.
“There is significant practical work to be done, including increasing accessibility, education, translators at the booths, election notices in communities and ensuring the AEC has a longer presence in communities.”
ENDS
Media contact: Amy Morgan, media@getup.org.au, +61 2 8188 2870