‘Multiple voting is an offence’: AEC responds to backlash after viral tweet

The AEC has responded to backlash after a viral tweet was seized on by No supporters suggesting the agency was encouraging double voting.

The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) has stressed that voting multiple times in the Voice referendum is an offence, after an X post on Tuesday went viral with some No supporters claiming the federal agency was encouraging double voting.

The AEC’s post on X, which has been viewed nearly 700,000 times on the platform and was quickly seized on by opponents of the Voice, was a response to a question from a user in a thread suggesting there would be “referendum election fraud”.

One X user in the thread asked the AEC, “I voted today. Was asked if I’d voted already. What’s to stop someone from voting at numerous venues?”

The AEC replied, “If someone votes at two different polling places within their electorate, and places their formal vote in the ballot box at each polling place, their vote is counted.”

We cannot remove the vote from the count because, due to the secrecy of the ballot, we have no way of knowing which ballot paper belongs to which person. However, the number of double votes received is incredibly low, and usually related to mental health or age.

— AEC ✏️ (@AusElectoralCom) October 3, 2023

It explained in another post, “We cannot remove the vote from the count because, due to the secrecy of the ballot, we have no way of knowing which ballot paper belongs to which person. However, the number of double votes received is incredibly low, and usually related to mental health or age.”

The AEC added that if someone votes multiple times they may become a so-called “designated elector, which means they have [to] complete a declaration vote – eliminating the risk at future elections”.

Despite the clarifications, social media users leapt on the original post.

The AEC has stressed that multiple voting is an offence. Picture: Supplied

United Australia Party (UAP) Senator Ralph Babet wrote, “We have seen how unhinged some ‘yes’ campaigners have been. It’s all but guaranteed there will be people who vote multiple times. The system is broken. It must change. The head of the AEC must resign. His position is untenable.”

Political commentator Rukshan Fernando said, “All the AEC really has to say in response to questions on X/Twitter about multiple voting is that it’s illegal, and point to information on their website that gives clear guidelines. This short tweet has gone viral internationally, and at the end of the day you can really only blame the AEC for spreading it. Read it without any other context, and see how it reads.”

We've been in touch with the MP's office to discuss this. The post was edited swiftly to take that part out.

Use of an often-misunderstood colloquial saying that shouldn't have occurred and was amended.

— AEC ✏️ (@AusElectoralCom) September 29, 2023

Ironically in the same X thread, the AEC confirmed it had raised concerns with NSW Labor MP Meryl Swanson after she used the hashtag “#voteoften” in a Facebook post encouraging early voting.

“We’ve been in touch with the MP’s office to discuss this,” the AEC wrote. “The post was edited swiftly to take that part out. Use of an often-misunderstood colloquial saying that shouldn’t have occurred and was amended.”

Reached for comment, an AEC spokeswoman directed news.com.au to a lengthy thread on X published on Wednesday morning in response to the backlash.

Every early voting centre open now has what are called electronic certified lists - these laptops provide for real-time mark off on the electoral roll.

This carries through to many polling places on the day as well. pic.twitter.com/ZyGN5KgGVf

— AEC ✏️ (@AusElectoralCom) October 3, 2023

“Multiple voting is an offence. Real-time roll mark off occurs at all pre-poll centres and many polling day booths. All declaration votes are also subject to strict roll checks,” it said.

“Every early voting centre open now has what are called electronic certified lists – these laptops provide for real-time mark off on the electoral roll. This carries through to many polling places on the day as well. There will be approximately 5500 electronic certified lists in operation during the referendum.”

Early voting opened on October 3. Picture: David Gray/AFP

The AEC explained the process for declaration votes and stressed that “multiple marks against the electoral roll have never in Australia’s history of federal elections and referendums been larger than the margin in a contest”.

“If it was, it would be identified and a result could be challenged in court,” it said.

“As with most aspects of administering a federal referendum, the processes for roll mark-off and declaration votes are consistent with how it occurs for federal elections conducted previously. Voter identification is not required for federal electoral events. Any change to this would of course be a matter for parliament to consider. The AEC administers federal electoral events in line with the law.”

The AEC also urged “people interacting online regarding electoral processes” to “endeavour to consume full information regarding a matter”.

“Single post replies of 280 characters often don’t provide for that,” it said.

All the AEC really has to say in response to questions on X/Twitter about multiple voting is that it’s illegal, and point to information on their website that gives clear guidelines.

If they want to give information on how multiple voting can and does occur on social media, and… https://t.co/pxx80lIt6e

— Rukshan Fernando (@therealrukshan) October 3, 2023

“The AEC is on this platform to help inform people about electoral processes we administer. This account receives thousands of enquiries here a day at the moment (approximately 25,000 in the past two days). We implore people on X to have some patience, and to interact in good faith and with civility.”

It’s the latest headache for the AEC, which has found itself repeatedly under attack by the No side during the referendum campaign.

Controversy erupted last month when the AEC confirmed that, in accordance with longstanding policy used in prior referendums, a tick may be considered a Yes vote, but a cross would not be counted as a No vote.

Opposition leader Peter Dutton branded the comments by Australian Electoral Commissioner Tom Rogers “completely outrageous”, and the UAP launched a federal court case to challenge the policy.

The case was dismissed last month. “Unlike a cross, which has more than one signification, either approval or disapproval … the tick approves or selects the affirmative as the voter’s answer,” Justice Steven Rares said.

AEC boss Tom Rogers at the Wurrumiyanga polling station on Tuesday. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

Earlier this week, Yes23 was called out for placing signs using nearly identical purple colour and white lettering as official AEC branding outside a pre-polling centre in Victoria.

“To be absolutely clear – the signs were erected by the Yes23 campaign, not the AEC,” the AEC said in a statement. The commission said the signs, which featured a “similar shade of purple to the AEC’s long standing branding”, could potentially “mislead voters about the source of a campaign message”.

It comes after Mr Rogers last month slammed “tinfoil hat wearing conspiracy theorists” online spreading misinformation about the referendum.

“And without wishing to blow this up into a big event and take on the internet, some of the stuff we’ve seen is tinfoil hat wearing, bonkers, mad conspiracies,” the veteran election czar told reporters at a briefing outlining the build-up to voting day on October 14.

Mr Rogers said some of the threats online against staff were a “disgrace”. “We’ve seen higher levels of abuse, I would use the term vitriol, online,” he said. “This is the first social media referendum in Australia’s history.”

He said there were ongoing negotiations with social media to take down misinformation promptly but it wasn’t always successful.

A record 17.5 million people are set to cast their ballots over the next two weeks in the first referendum since 1999, to determine whether Australia’s constitution will be altered to create an Indigenous Voice to Parliament.

The majority of polls have pointed towards a defeat, although Prime Minister Anthony Albanese remains confident Yes will prevail.

Originally published as ‘Multiple voting is an offence’: AEC responds to backlash after viral tweet