Werribee and Prahran pre-polling booth campaigners to register ahead due to past aggression an pushy behaviour

Pre-polling booth political campaigners will be asked to register, after a history of intimidation, aggression and pushy behaviour.

Political campaigners at pre-polling booths in Werribee and Prahran will be asked to register for the first time in Victorian election history. Picture: Brendan Radke

Political campaigners at pre-polling booths in Werribee and Prahran will be asked to register for the first time in Victorian election history amid concerns about poor behaviour and intimidation.

A trial by the Victorian Electoral Commission, commencing today as pre-polling opens ahead of the February 8 by-elections, will ask volunteers handing out how-to-vote cards to register by providing personal contact details, after which they will receive a wristband indicating their compliance.

The move has been prompted by concerns about increasingly hostile campaigner behaviour in recent elections.

But it has prompted an angry backlash by critics who say it is an attack on the democratic process.

The move has been prompted by concerns about increasingly hostile campaigner behaviour in recent elections. Picture: Arsineh Houspian

In a letter to senior Liberals and MPs on Tuesday, Liberal Party state director Stuart Smith said he had vehemently objected to the trial.

“Our Party’s members, volunteers and supporters have been handing out how-to-vote cards for 80 years – there is no good reason that citizens’ participation in their own democracy need be treated as something so problematic that has to be regulated,” he said.

“Our democracy should be vibrant, free and contested – not unnecessarily restricted and regulated/supervised by a government organisation.

“We have written to the Electoral Commission to advise that we strongly object to the Commission’s proposal to inadvertently publicly identify (by lack of wristband) any of our volunteers who refuse to register their personal details in a government database.”

Mr Smith said volunteers could “politely decline” to take part in the trial.

“Volunteers need only say “no thank you, I do not wish to participate in the trial,” he said.

“There is no need for anyone to debate or argue any point – I have already written to the Electoral Commissioner – our volunteers just need to be polite and say “no thank you”.”

Deputy Liberal Party leader, Sam Groth, also wrote to colleagues outlining his objections in an email seen by the Herald Sun.

Concerning behaviour included campaigners being loud, aggressive and pushy, harassing and being aggressive towards other campaigners and racial vilification and sexist comments. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Nicki Connolly

“I want to express my strong belief that this is an overreach by the VEC. Our Party’s members and supporters have been actively engaged in the democratic process for decades without the need for such regulation,” he said.

“The idea that citizens must register and disclose personal information to participate in democracy is both unnecessary and disturbing.

“I urge all of you who may be volunteering during pre-polling to stand your ground and not engage with this registration process. Participation in our democracy should be a right, without the expectation of undue government burden or interference.”

Following an inquiry into the 2022 state election, the parliament’s Electoral Matters Committee called for a code of conduct to reduce poor behaviour at polling booths.

It received multiple reports about poor behaviour at voting centres, including aggressive, harassing and intimidating behaviour towards other campaigners and voters.

“The VEC and several experienced campaigners told the Committee that behaviour at voting centres has been getting worse in recent elections … poor behaviour was not confined to voting centres. Several submitters to this Inquiry noted threats of violence that had occurred during campaigning,” it said.

Concerning behaviour included campaigners being loud, aggressive and pushy towards voters when handing out how-to-vote cards, harassing and being aggressive towards other campaigners and racial vilification and sexist comments.

The VEC has been contacted for comment.

Originally published as Werribee and Prahran pre-polling booth campaigners to register ahead due to past aggression an pushy behaviour