17,000 new voters enrol in past week for postal ballot

Almost 17,000 Australians have enrolled to vote ahead of Malcolm Turnbull’s same-sex marriage postal ballot.

Almost 17,000 Australians have enrolled to vote ahead of Malcolm Turnbull’s same-sex marriage postal ballot.

The Australian Electoral Commission yesterday issued a statement on Twitter noting that in the six days between August 8 and August 14, the electoral roll had “increased by 16,990”.

The AEC also noted that over this period there were an extra “215,863 enrolment update transactions”, which The Australian understands refers largely to updating address details.

Of the total transactions registered with the AEC in the week since the postal ballot was ­announced, only 7.3 per cent have been new enrolments.

Some Liberal MPs have been concerned the postal plebiscite would activate the government’s political opponents as a practice run ahead of the federal election.

The daily average of “enrolment transactions” received by AEC is usually about 4000. This means the announcement of the postal plebiscite has led to a flurry of individuals updating their ­address details with the AEC.