It shouldn’t be too hard to write ‘yes’ or ‘no’ on your voting slip this weekend, but even so some people have managed to mess it up! So, if you do suffer from performance anxiety here’s a list of what you absolutely should not do at the ballot box.
DON’T – draw all over it. Whereas yes, the AEC has previously ruled [link?] that you could draw a dick on your slip if you wanted, “any marks other than yes or no could leave the formality of your vote open to interpretation or challenge”.
“Ultimately, if challenged, the relevant AEC Divisional Returning Officer will decide if your ballot is deemed formal or informal in accordance with the Referendum Act.”
DON’T – use a tick or a cross. When asked if people could do the, AEC simply said “please don’t”. A cross, they argue, can be ambiguous. Whereas next to a tick it would mean no, plenty of people use a cross simply as a check mark, indicating yes.
DON’T – have bad handwriting. Okay, you probably can’t help this. But the reason the guidelines have you write either ‘yes’ or ‘no’ in full is so that it’s clear what you’ve written even if your handwriting is terrible. This might not be the case if you just put a ‘y’ or ‘n’.
DON’T – change the wording on the ballot paper. Like, what are you even hoping to achieve here? All that could happen is you make your voting intention unclear, and it could be deemed informal.
DON’T – campaign in the voting place. Yep, there are strict rules around campaigning in voting places but in short – don’t do it! Campaigning could be as simple as wearing a “yes” or “no” shirt. Although the AEC said you can wear such political clothing inside, if you’re spotted talking to someone this could be construed as canvassing. So play it safe, and maybe wear a jumper.
DON’T – forget to vote. Unless you want to be fined, that is…
It’s pretty simple but don’t fret – if you’re not sure you can handle all this, there’s a practise ballot paper you can fill out on the AEC website as many times as you want. Remember – you don’t want to leave your vote up to chance.
