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Legislative Council Elections MEDIA RELEASE
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2020 Legislative Council elections – Additional measures in place to maintain election integrity
The Tasmanian Electoral Commission is undertaking new additional measures to ensure electors have access to the voting process and to maintain the integrity of the 2020 Legislative Council elections during the COVID-19 pandemic.
New extended election timetable
In accordance with Part 5 of the Electoral Act 2004 and section 19 of the Constitution Act 1934, it is now expected that the Governor will issue writs for the 2020 Legislative Council elections with the following dates:
Close of the roll 6pm Wednesday 15 April
Nomination period closing noon Thursday 23 April
Announcement of candidates noon Friday 24 April
Polling day 8am-6pm Saturday 30 May
These new extended dates will better enable the initiatives mentioned below.
Mail out to current Huon and Rosevears electors
The Commission will mail every current Huon and Rosevears elector an information pack regarding their possible entitlement to vote by post. This mail out will be supported by a television, radio and social media campaign drawing electors' attention to the pack.
Under the Electoral Act 2004, an elector can apply for a postal vote if they expect to be unable to attend a polling place on polling day, Saturday 30 May. To apply for a postal vote, an elector will need to complete an application form and return it in a free reply-paid envelope (both provided in the information pack).
A significant increase in postal voting will:
- provide safer access to the voting process for electors
- provide voting services to those electors in self-isolation or quarantine and
- reduce the number of electors attending polling places for early voting or on polling day which may reduce the health risks to electoral staff and electors.
The Commission encourages Huon and Rosevears electors to keep an eye out for this important information pack and consider their eligibility to vote by post. |
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Mobile polling services will not be provided
The Commission will not be providing mobile polling services to aged care homes for these elections. Along with the information pack mail out mentioned above, additional postal vote applications will be made available to aged care homes within the Huon and Rosevears divisions to ensure engagement with electors within these facilities.
Extended period for pre-poll voting
The new timetable allows for a longer pre-poll period of five weeks in an attempt to provide greater elector access and reduce the concentration of electors in polling places.
Can the elections be deferred to next year or changed to full postal?
The Electoral Commission is bound by the Electoral Act 2004 and the Constitution Act 1934 for the conduct of Parliamentary elections. These pieces of legislation dictate that Legislative Council elections are to be conducted as attendance ballots (where electors attend a polling place) with a polling day in May each year.
Periodic Legislative Council elections have been conducted in Tasmania since 1851 with historical documents providing election results in all but three years during this 170-year period – 1852, 1878 and 1908.
Neither the Tasmanian Electoral Commission nor the Governor have any power to defer these elections.
When will further information become available?
More information regarding these elections can be found on the TEC website – www.tec.tas.gov.au
The Commission will provide further media releases regarding additional safety and electoral measures to be undertaken as we progress through the election.
The Electoral Commissioner, Andrew Hawkey said:
The Commission is very mindful of the difficult, uncertain and continually changing circumstances we are in as a community, as a state and as a nation. While Tasmanian legislation requires us to conduct the 2020 Legislative Council elections, the Commission will be doing everything it can to ensure the safety of the voting public, the safety of our staff and the integrity of these elections.
We will continue to heed the advice and recommendations of the Government and public health officials regarding health and safety issues for these elections.
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Andrew Hawkey
Tasmanian Electoral Commissioner
Wendy Polzin
Communications Manager
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ENDS Tuesday 24 March 2020
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Tasmanian Electoral Commission
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