Are you enrolled to vote?
To take part in the upcoming Marriage Equality postal vote / survey make sure you are on the Electoral Roll by 24 August 2017!
You can check your enrolment here:
https://check.aec.gov.au/
You can update your details or enrol here:
www.aec.gov.au/enrol
Make sure you have a Drivers Licence or Passport handy to complete the online form. If you do not have either of these, you will need to fill out a hard copy form and return it in the post.
See below for detailed information from the Australian Bureau of Statistics about the postal vote.
Information on the postal vote (or survey) to be conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on the topic of Marriage Equality.
The Australian Government has directed the ABS to undertake a survey to collect the views of eligible Australians on whether the law should be changed to allow same sex couples to marry. The ABS will undertake the statistical collection under the authority of the Census and Statistics Act 1905.
To ensure everyone who is eligible receives a survey form, the ABS urges Australians to enrol or check their details by visiting the AEC website.
Important points
- The Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey information line is 1800 572 113, if you are calling from overseas and cannot access this line, please dial +61 2 6252 5262 open 7 days a week from 8am to 8pm (local time).
- This survey is voluntary and there are no penalties for not participating.
- Responses are kept secret. ABS will keep the identity of all respondents separate from their survey responses at all times. The barcode on the survey form will be used for “mark-in” purposes only and is a single-use, anonymous, code. No person who sees or has any access to any completed forms will know both the name of eligible Australians and the related single-use code.
- The ABS will destroy all information collected after the survey results are published.
- Australians who are enrolled on the Electoral Roll and eligible to participate in a Federal Election, will be included in the Survey. People who become eligible for enrolment after August 24, for example those who turn 18 after 24 August, will not be included in the survey.
- Silent Electors will be sent their survey forms by the AEC. The ABS will, at no time, know the address of silent electors.
Key dates
- Thursday, 24 August 2017 - Electoral Roll closes for new enrolments or changes to enrolments (midnight local time).
- From Tuesday, 12 September 2017 - Commencement of mailing of forms and collection period with a strong message to "have your say, complete and return it today".
- Wednesday, 11 October 2017 – Requests for replacement material closes (6pm local time).
- Friday, 27 October 2017 – The date the ABS is strongly encouraging all eligible Australians to ensure the ABS address has received their forms by.
- Tuesday, 7 November (6pm EST) – No responses received after this date will be processed.
- Wednesday, 15 November 2017 – Statistics and integrity report released.
Special strategies to support participation
Arrangements will be put in place to allow eligible Australians living in remote areas, those living overseas, those located in the Antarctic, Government personnel on overseas deployment, those unable to self-complete a paper form, or those without access to mail to have an opportunity to participate in the survey.
More information on the special strategies being put into place to ensure all eligible Australians have the opportunity to respond to the survey.
The ABS also published a range of other new details on its survey process page.
The AEC website has information to assist people to enrol who have no fixed address.
Update your electoral roll details by 24 August at www.aec.gov.au to participate in the Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey or call the InfoLine for advice on 1800 572 113.