The Australian Electoral Commission has ordered a suite of changes prior to the re-run of the WA Senate election, including increased tracking of ballot papers and a ban on recycling at polling centres.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Acting Electoral Commissioner Tom Rogers told Parliament's electoral matters committee on Wednesday that the debacle over the loss of 1370 ballots “is certainly the worst period in our history”.
Mr Rogers said the AEC had made several changes in response to an investigation by former Australian Federal Police commissioner Mick Keelty and those changes would be in place for the fresh WA Senate election on April 5.
Mr Keelty's investigation identified numerous breakdowns in the handling and storage of ballots and he has said “poor leadership” contributed to the “disastrous result” that has forced Western Australians back to the polls.
It has been estimated that the Senate re-vote in WA will cost $20 million.
Mr Rogers said at Wednesday's hearing that the AEC had improved its handling process.
“We've introduced better labelling and tamper evident labelling and packaging to enhance that materials management process,” he said.
Mr Rogers said new security directions had been issued for polling places “to remind them of their duties” and staff were completing new training before April 5.
The acting commissioner said the AEC would document and track the movements of ballot papers more than ever before to establish a “chain of custody” each time a ballot paper changed hands.
Mr Rogers said the commission was also imposing measures to reduce the movement of ballot papers and “even the movement of unused ballot papers” would be done via a secure cage.
Following concern that the missing ballot papers might have accidentally been thrown in the rubbish, Mr Rogers said removal of rubbish from polling centres would be not be permitted without it being checked and certified.
He said recycling would also no longer be permitted within polling centres themselves.
Mr Rogers said the new restrictions meant that how to vote cards could not be removed from bins in polling centres if parties found themselves running short of how to vote cards on polling day.
Labor Senator John Faulkner warned that this could lead to “a riot” if voters could not access the information.
Mr Rogers told the committee that he was confident the commission had taken steps “to minimise to the extent possible” the chance of deliberate interference with ballot papers.
He said some of the measures in response to 32 recommendations been trialled at the Griffith byelection and could be imposed across the country at future federal elections.
