If you tested positive on a RAT you will need the receipt number from your health authority from the registration of your positive test (if provided) and the brand and serial number of your RAT (if available).
To use this service,head to theAEC website.
Online registration is now open and will close at 4pm AEST on Saturday,May 21. You can also register via telephone on the same number you will use to cast your vote. This number is 1800 413 960.
Operating times are:
- Thursday,May 19:8.30am to 5.30pm local time.
- Friday,May 20: 8.30am to 5.30pm local time.
- Saturday,May 21: 8am to 6pm local time.
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When you call to vote,you will be asked the same questions you would be asked if you voted in person:your name,address,whether you have voted before in this election and if you’re entitled to cast a telephone vote,and you’ll be asked to choose a six-digit PIN.
Once your registration has been submitted,you will get a registration number sent by SMS or email,and when you call to cast your vote you will be asked to quote your registration number.
The number you need to call to vote is1800 413 960,and when you do so,the AEC is asking that you call when you are ready to cast your vote. There are full re-creations of ballot papersavailable on the AEC website,and voters will be pointed to these when they register.
You do not need any proof of identification,such as a passport or driver’s licence,when you call to vote;the same as if you were voting in person at a voting centre.
How long will it take? And will it be confidential?
The AEC will have approximately 5000 phone operators spread across Australia,and the Australian electoral commissioner has warned that it is a “one-off,emergency project,and it will be a lumpy experience.”
If you’re still on hold at 6pm on election day (when polls close) you will still be able to vote,just as if you were waiting in line at a polling place after 6pm.
The two-step registration and call process is designed to make sure that your privacy is upheld and that your vote is confidential.
The mark-off of the roll is separated from the recording of your vote.
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In addition to that precaution,there are layers of supervision in place,and candidate and party-appointed scrutineers able to observe.
Ballot papers are not identified,and ballot paper security processes are in place for the transport and storage of ballots,the same as all other forms of voting.
What if English isn’t my first language?
The AEC has translated election information into 33 languages,availablevia their website,which also includes individual numbers to access their telephone interpreter service.