Mixed reviews as voting in remote commences ahead of October referendum

Jarred Cross
Jarred Cross Published September 27, 2023 at 4.30pm (AWST)
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Early polling has opened across remote Australian communities as the Australian Electoral Commission sends out more than 60 teams of officials to far corners in the lead up to the Voice referendum, with mixed results so far.

On Monday, the AEC arrived in the first of more than 700 communities they are due to reach in the coming weeks.

Thousands of kilometres will be covered by 4WD, plane, helicopter and ferry.

The rollout comes as voter enrolment of Indigenous Australians reached its highest ever level - 94.1 per cent.

A map of remote service delivery and training activities locations. (Image: supplied, AEC)

Polling opened in Orrtipa-Thurra, an Aboriginal community around 400km east of Alice Springs along the Plenty Highway on Wednesday.

Local resident Monica Dunn told National Indigenous Times the AEC coming in saved her from a five-hour one-way journey into town to cast her vote.

Without a car, she said the process was made "pretty easy".

Local Arramwelke Aboriginal Corporation chief executive Jeff Iversen said the AEC arrived "nice and early" in line with their previous arrivals for polling.

"We all work well together getting get the objective done successfully and easily for every community member that's available," he told National Indigenous Times.

"We knew they were coming. We had advanced warning in advance posters, and we let people know so those that wanted to vote have gone to, and those that aren't have made alternative plans."

While some have found the process seamless, difficulties have presented elsewhere.

According to reports, a death on the Tiwi Islands is likely to limit voter turn up with sorry business, while logistical concerns have sprung forward out of the AEC's mammoth task.

Member for Daly Dheran Young told the ABC some residents of Naiuyu, three hours south of Darwin by road, missed out as they were unaware early polling in their community closed after one day of operation.

The AEC's Geoff Bloom said a process was launched to check whether posters had been put up in the town, according to ABC.

In Mowanjum, outside of Derby in WA, only a small number of the community turned out to cast their vote.

"The schedule is incredibly challenging and complex of course but significant effort goes into letting people in remote communities know when we'll be there," Australian Electoral Commissioner Tom Rogers said.

Planning has included announcements via radio, TV, SMS, digital platforms and notice boards.

AEC said information has been distributed in more than 20 First Nations languages with a targeted approach to alert local communities.

"This has been underway for some time as well, with more than 140 referendum education sessions run in remote communities around Australia and partnerships with local Indigenous organisations to educate community members about the process," Mr Rogers said.

"There is no doubt that many of these communities are hard to reach - both physically and with forms of community announcements - but we invest hugely in this service offering and in communicating about the service as well."

Information on remote voter services are available via the AEC website.

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National Indigenous Times

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