Electoral Commissioner Ian Campbell has confirmed 143,000 voters including more than 3000 in Canberra have been removed from the electoral roll in the six months leading up to this year's election, a potential boost to the Howard Government's chances.
Just before the election was called, Mr Campbell wrote to a Labor Party official outlining the removal process, which dovetails with the Government's tighter voter eligibility and shorter closing time for the rolls.
The number of people removed from the roll is close to twice the number of electors in the average electorate and, depending on their distribution, could have a decisive effect in a marginal seat.
Both the vigorous use of the "objection process", removing voters who have moved and not advised the commission, and the Government's tough new legislation on voting entitlement, are widely seen as disenfranchising mainly young people, who polls show are more likely to vote Labor.
It is understood up to 1000 of those removed in the ACT will turn up to the booths on November 24, only to find they incorrectly used an old form to apply for or to change their enrolment. Only 200 of about 1200 people who used the wrong forms have persisted and enrolled with the correct form.
The roll removal will hit people who have moved within an electorate and who, in previous elections, were able to enrol on polling day and cast what was known as a provisional vote. That allowance has been removed.
In a letter to the ACT secretary of the Labor Party, Matthew Cossey, Mr Campbell says that some of the 143,000 removed voters would have re-enrolled by using the new forms.
"I might point out that while the AEC does everything in its power to facilitate enrolment, it is the elector's responsibility to be on the roll and maintain current enrolment information," he wrote in an October 10 letter.
Labor's three ACT federal representatives are to protest today at the removal and urge everyone who has changed address in the past three years to check their enrolment. Such voters only have until 8pm today to successfully reinstate their right to vote.
The protest comes on the third day of an election campaign in which the Government continues to push its $34 billion tax-cut package, as the Opposition says the Government is "sitting on" $6 billion of Commonwealth land which could be opened up for housing, making first homes more affordable.
Leaders John Howard and Kevin Rudd continue to disagree on the terms of a debate, Mr Howard insisting on one, on Sunday night, while Mr Rudd holds out for three.
In his letter to Mr Campbell, Mr Cossey said he had been informed the commission "may be in the process of removing more than 200,000 voters".
"Aside from the AEC's ineffectual television commercial, what specific measures are being undertaken by the AEC to ensure that the commission is as effective at getting people on the roll as you are at removing people?" he asked.
Mr Campbell pointed to the commission's "wide-ranging public activities", including participation in orientation weeks at universities, Enrol to Vote Week in secondary schools, birthday cards for 17- and 18-year-olds, the Rock Enrol promotions and text messaging.
He insisted also that the advertising campaign had worked.
"Statistics show an increase in the number of enrolment forms coming from the places (eg post office, and internet) at which the advertising tells people to get a form," he wrote. "This combined with research conducted into the impact of our advertising makes the AEC of the view that is has been quite effective."
The roll has surpassed 13.5 million for the first time.
Mr Campbell defended the commission's use of data-matching with agencies, such as Australia Post, ActewAGL and the motor registry, "and fieldwork where appropriate" to determine the most recent addresses of voters.
"In the ACT, 3066 electors have been removed from the roll through the objection process since March 2007, which is 78 per cent of the 3929 people on whom objection action was commenced," he wrote. "During this same period, 4773 eligible electors have been added to the ACT electoral roll."
He said less than 2.5 per cent of enrolment forms being received by the commission were the old, now-ineffective ones.
"I can assure you that the AEC has a great interest in encouraging people to be enrolled and will continue to make every effort to ensure this happens," he said.
Mr Campbell said yesterday it was too late to post back enrolment forms, which must be taken, faxed or emailed to the commission today.
Enrolment forms can be downloaded from www.aec.gov.au and are available at any commission office, Australia Post outlet, or Medicare, Centrelink or tax office.
Voters who need to update their details have until 8pm to do so.