Discrimination complaints lodged against Tasmanian Electoral Commission

Matt Maloney | The Examiner | 30 September 2022

Vision-impaired Tasmanians who claim they will be disenfranchised by compulsory voting in the October council elections have launched discrimination complaints against the Tasmanian Electoral Commission.

Parliament recently passed legislation to make voting in local government elections compulsory and ballots are to be cast through a postal vote on paper.

Failure to not fill out a ballot risks a $173 fine.

Disability Voices Tasmania and Blind Citizens Australia have said voters with vision impairments would be shut out of the process because there were no other accessible voting options available.

DVT chairman Michael Small said people with vision impairment, blindness, physical dexterity problems and literacy difficulties formed a large group in Tasmania and would each be impacted in some way.

He said the commission had suggested family and friends help with the casting of ballots, however, this undermined the concept of secret ballots.

Blind Citizens Australia president Duncan Meerding said that people with vision impairments would not be fined for not voting missed the point.

“We demand a non-discriminatory voting system,” he said. “We know accessible voting can be done because it has been done in other elections in the past.”

Discrimination complaints have been lodged under both the Tasmanian Anti-Discrimination Act and the Federal Disability Discrimination Act, which demand impartial assistance with voting.

Nelson independent MLC Meg Webb called on the Premier to intervene.

She said the Local Government Act empowered the Electorial Commissioner to sign off on any appropriate measure to allow visually impairer electors to vote.

Ms Webb said the government rushed compulsory voting legislation through Parliment in July so it had a responsibility to work with the Tasmanian Electoral Commission to implement suitable alternatives to a postal vote.

Local Government Minister Nic Street said the Office of Local Government and the Tasmanian Electoral Commission had been working with advocates to identify short-term solutions and further work would be done over the next few days to identify any other measures to assist people with disability to vote.

“I appreciate that this is not a long term solution and that we will need to amend the act to address this issue,” he said.

“I encourage anyone that needs assistance to vote to call the Tasmanian Electoral Commission on 1800 801 701.”

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