The early voting period has begun, but what does the ballot look like? Chances are you’ve never seen a referendum ballot, and they’re a little different to state, federal and local government ballots.
The buff (yeah, that’s a real colour) ballot has some similarities to those you might have seen before, it’s the same size as a lower house (small) ballot and still has instructions as to how to correctly fill it out so your vote can be counted.
But because there’s no preferential voting in referendums there’s just one box to fill in and no numbering to do!
The ballot has the proposed change (referendum question), and then asks if you approve of it. All you need to do is write ‘yes’ or ‘no’ in the box (in English).
So, it’ll look something like this:
The AEC also has an interactive version of this here if you’d like to practice.
You might have heard some confusion around voting using other words or symbols. Here’s what the AEC have to say on that:
We will always admit a ballot paper to the count where the voter’s intention is clear but any marks or words other than ‘yes’ or ‘no’ (e.g. the use of a tick or check mark) 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.
(Formal = a vote that can be understood and counted. Informal = a vote that can’t be counted.)
In short, following the instructions makes sure your vote can be counted! It also makes the jobs of electoral workers counting your votes and scrutineers overseeing the count easier (which is important – it's a huge job!!)
Your vote matters, make it count. You can find all your options for casting your vote here.
