1.6 |
The threshold issue for the consideration by the committee is different for each of the trials:
- For the trial of electronically assisted voting for electors who are blind or have low vision the key issue is whether the improvement in the quality of the franchise, which allowed electors to cast a secret and independent vote, should be continued given the significant cost incurred in providing this service. The committee recognises, however, that it is difficult to place a monetary value on being able to cast a secret ballot — something that most of us take for granted;
- For the trial of remote electronic voting for selected ADF personnel serving overseas the key issue is whether the voting system maximises voting opportunities while at the same time imposing as little a burden as possible in operational areas.
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1.7 |
For electors who are blind or have low vision, a key benefit was the ability to cast a secret and independent vote — an experience normally taken for granted by the majority of Australians. |
1.8 |
For ADF personnel serving overseas, a key benefit was a higher likelihood that a vote would be included in the count by bypassing the possibility of logistical delays involved in alternative forms of voting such as postal voting. |
1.9 |
The combined costs of the trials was over $4 million, with an average cost per vote cast of $2,597 for the trial of electronically assisted voting for blind and low vision electors and $1,159 for the remote electronic voting trial for selected defence force personnel serving overseas.1 |
1.10 |
This compares to an average cost per elector at the 2007 election of $8.36.2 |
1.11 |
Beyond the threshold issue for each of the trials, the committee has examined what changes, if any, should be made if these forms of voting were to continue. The committee has also examined a number of alternative and complementary voting methods that should be considered in relation to the trials. |
1.12 |
For the electronically assisted voting trial for people who are blind or have low vision some of the issues that the committee has addressed include:
- Can other groups in the community who also need assistance with voting, such as people with a print disability, also benefit from the voting system used for the trial?
- Are there any other technologies, such as electronic magnifiers, that could also be used to improve the voting experience?
What improvements, if any, can be made to the voting system to strengthen the integrity of the vote and facilitate greater participation by electors?
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1.13 |
For the remote electronic voting trial for selected ADF personnel serving overseas some of the issues the committee has considered include:
- What is the impact on operational areas of accommodating the necessary technical infrastructure involved in the trial?
Could the system used for the trial be adapted to provide others, such as Australian Federal Police officers stationed overseas and Australians working in Antarctica, with similar opportunities to vote remotely?
- Can some of the logistical issues involved in delivering alternative forms of voting such as postal voting be overcome by other means?
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