Electoral Commission, Dunstan By-Election

In reply to the Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK ().4 June 2024).

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector): The Special Minister of State has advised:

1. ECSA is in the process of developing a new electronic mark-off system (subject to funding approval) which will reduce the likelihood of these errors reoccurring.

To reduce human error, existing training for polling officials will be amended to reinforce the need to ensure electors are correctly marked off. Additionally, procedures will be amended to implement an additional stage to check data integrity prior to sending letters to electors.

2. ECSA has established a call centre to manage calls regarding the non-voter process.

ECSA is also in the process of writing to those affected to advise the nature of the error and that their vote was included in the count.

3. An analysis has identified 197 electors had voted however were incorrectly sent non-voter notices.

Of the 197, 48 have been determined as being due to a technical issue and the remaining 149 are considered as due to human error by polling officials.