Drama at Voice polling booth on Gold Coast prompts AEC complaints probe

The Australian Electoral Commission is looking at complaints about conspiracies and threats of violence at a Gold Coast polling booth. Read the latest on the historic referendum

The Australian Electoral Commission is escalating official complaints and concerns regarding conspiracies being spread by No campaigners at the Broadbeach pre-polling booth.

A voter complained to AEC staff after they claim they saw a member of the public advising voters to write in pen or the AEC would erase their answer and write ‘Yes’ instead.

It is understood that AEC staff then warned people they would be removed if false conspiracies continued to be pushed.

One of the voters who complained, who wished to remain anonymous, said no matter whether someone voted ‘yes’ or ‘no’, the institution of Australian democracy should not be undermined.

While the AEC provides free pencils, voters are welcome to use their own pen.

“The AEC is not rubbing out your vote,” said a spokesman.

Housing Minister and Gaven MP Meaghan Scanlon, with Noel Pearson and Senator Murray Watt at Nerang as the Yes vote for the Voice campaign reached out to the Gold Coast community.

“The reason why we use pencils is because they are easy to store between electoral events, are inexpensive, they won’t smudge on the ballot paper in places with hotter weather etc.

“Voters are of course permitted to use and bring a pen if they wish.”

Witnesses said an AEC official came out at the Broadbeach pre-poll booth to advise people to not spread the rumour that the AEC was rubbing out pencil votes and putting ‘Yes’.

The Broadbeach voter said another person was heard telling voters to turn their shirts inside out in order to go back into the booth and vote again.

AEC commissioner Tom Rogers said in September there had been an increase in threats, including death threats against staff, as well as an increase in misinformation.

Some of it was “tinfoil-hat-wearing, bonkers-mad conspiracy theories such as us using Dominion voting machines”, he said, referring to claims from former US president Donald Trump about electoral fraud.

Former US President and 2024 Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump gestures at the end of a campaign event at Club 47 USA in West Palm Beach, Florida, on October 11, 2023. (Photo by GIORGIO VIERA / AFP)

Meanwhile, a Yes campaigner and local organiser said she was physically threatened by members of the public at the Broadbeach pre-polling booth on Monday.

She said a female No voter chased her on foot while a male voter stalked her in an over-sized ‘monster’ truck.

“He kept pretending to run me over, it was extremely intimidating and the female passenger was yelling abuse at me,” she said.

“I just kept packing up at the time but I was in tears that night, I was actually frightened.

“(Someone) saw it all and just laughed along. I’m still in shock.”

The Yes campaigner said she walked another volunteer to her car after she was verbally harassed by voters.

“It shouldn’t be like this, everyone can have their vote and their view, but no one should harass you. This is not the Australia we know.”