Interview Highlight: Mac Bollella - Telephone Assisted Voting

Mac Bollella, from the Electoral Commission of South Australia, shares news with Peter Greco on what's available for telephone assisted voting at the 2026 South Australian state election.

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Episode Transcript

S1 (00:13):
Well, next year there'll be the state election in March.
We'll get the official details a bit closer to the time.
Let's find out how the Electoral Commission here in South
Australia is preparing and speak to Mack. Mack. Lovely to
meet you. Thank you for your time.

S2 (00:26):
Thank you. Peter.

S1 (00:27):
Now, we've spoken to people from the Electoral Commission in
the past. I normally have a bit of a joke
about the fact that they work sort of that a
couple of weeks every four years. I know that isn't
the case. So, uh, how things come along. Things are
getting ready for March next year.

S2 (00:40):
Yes we are. We're heavily getting involved in a lot
of different, um, decisions and things to happen for the
21st of March, 2026, where we have that state election
where everyone needs to vote.

S1 (00:50):
Now, uh, for people to listen regularly to this program,
they would have heard me and others, uh, plead about
the fact that particularly for people who are blind or
low vision, we wanted telephone assisted voting. I believe you
got some pretty good news in that area.

S2 (01:02):
Yes, this will be the first election that we'll have
telephone assisted voting, where those with low vision or motor
impairment have the ability to call us. And, um, we
will go through the process of a telephone assisted vote
voting process, which will mean will give you a key
number once you ring us, and it will then divert

(01:24):
you to another set of callers who will take your, um,
your vote and go through each of the ballot papers
to give you the opportunity to vote for that state election.

S1 (01:32):
Now, Mac, we've spoken about this as far as the
federal election goes. So it sounds like it's a fairly
similar system to what's been happening in recent federal elections.

S2 (01:40):
Very similar, very similar. We have modelled it against ones
that work and the federal election and other state commissions
do something similar. So yes.

S1 (01:48):
Yeah. Well, I guess in terms of the kind of
finer details that might be a bit clearer until we
get the official date and then the, you know, candidates,
that sort of stuff.

S2 (01:57):
Yeah. Well, what will happen is that I can tell
you that telephone assisted voting will be available as part
of early voting in the early voting period, which will
start from the 14th of March, Saturday, 14th of March,
and we'll finish on polling day or state by state
election day, be it the 21st of March up until
6 p.m. that day. So, um, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m..

(02:18):
the polling booths are open and so will telephone assisted voting.

S1 (02:22):
And as you say, a two step process. So first
of all, I guess you've got to register. So so
here I am. You know, I'd like to use the
telephone assisted voting. And then you get given some ID etc..
And then you, you ring back when you're ready to
cast your vote.

S2 (02:36):
You've got it. You've got it. So that first call
is really just registering that you are the right person
that is on the roll. And then we'll give you a,
a key number or a unique number that you will
need to remember, because then we'll divert you across to
another set of people who won't know you, who won't
ask any details. They'll just take your key number and
we'll provide you details on what's on the ballot paper.

(02:58):
Read those out to you line by line, and then
you will make your decisions on who you vote for.
So all is kept confidential. And we have a third
person just to check to ensure that everything that you
have said and elected to put by your vote on
the phone telephone call is recorded accurately.

S1 (03:16):
This is one of those times where it's good to
just be a number. You know, normally we sort of
criticize you just a number out there, but in this
instance it's good because it keeps that anonymity.

S2 (03:26):
Correct. You remain confidential in the process. And and that's
one of the democratic ways. So, um, yes, you do
need to be able to, um, vote confidentially.

S1 (03:35):
But what about in terms of your staff? I know, um,
particularly for the federal election, I've always found them really
well trained and well versed in what they're doing, I'm assuming,
and hoping that it'll be similar with your staff. They're
going to be going through a training process so they'll
be aware of, you know, kind of what will be
happening and had had a different situations.

S2 (03:54):
Definitely, definitely. And and that's our priority this election. We're
very much into customer relationships. How to build on, um,
providing you the services that you need. You're here to vote.
And we know sometimes it's not the easiest of things
to do, but we want to make it as easy
as possible. Our staff will be trained in a number
of different areas again this year. Um, we are a

(04:16):
member or a, an endorser of the hidden disabilities program,
the sunflower program. So we are. Yes. So we are
ready to, um, provide that service as well, where every
staff member will go through the training. We will have
staff members with the white lanyard showing our support for
those that need some assistance. And, um, yeah, we'll guide
you through the process. So, um, there's a number of

(04:39):
different areas of training that we are also doing this,
this election to ensure that we keep everyone happy. And, um,
they find that the experience is one that they'll do. Again.

S1 (04:50):
That's a great point you make about, uh, because obviously,
you know, we're we're very excited for those who are
blind or have low vision about telephone assisted voting. But
for those who rock up to a polling booth, it's
important that that experience be, uh, you know, very accessible
and very kind of streamlined as well.

S2 (05:06):
It is, it is. And we we have also taken note, um,
that we've been trying to look at polling locations that
are low sensory or trialing low sensory locations, be it
through the lighting in the room, the sound, um, enabling
them to have a space or an area before they
go in to vote to decompress and just come to
terms with where they are. And these are some of

(05:28):
the things that we're learning through the process. And in
terms of accessibility, that is a priority where we will
have wheelchair accessibility and things like that to allow enable
people to enter the polling locations. But we'll promote those
through the website, through our newspaper advertising, as well as
on the easy vote car, which you should receive through
the mail. On the back of that, it will show

(05:49):
some of the accessibility ratings for each of the polling
locations you can visit in your district.

S1 (05:54):
Because, you know, for those old, old timers like us,
not you, Mac, but like me, Mac, we've done it
a few times. And even if not telephone assisted voting,
we've been through the election process. But for people maybe
voting for the first time, I mean, it's a it's
a busy, sort of bustling sort of area, lots of
people around. So it can be a little bit intimidating if,
as I say, if you haven't experienced it before.

S2 (06:15):
Exactly. It can be. And it's simply because there's so
many people in the one space at one time. But
that's a good thing as well. It means that democracy
is at play. But what I can say is that
we're also looking into what we call exit TV, which
will be a short little snippet videos which will we
will do one video showing that experience of traveling from
the car park, from your disabled car park, or a

(06:37):
parking in that car park space, walking to the polling booth, um,
and then polling booth itself. And what you're expected to
do once you get those ballot papers. So we are
looking at other ways of just lessening the anxiety you
might receive or might have when you go to a
polling location and seeing how we can help generally in community, um,

(06:58):
just to make it a better experience.

S1 (07:00):
I've got to say that's very well thought out. If
you're doing things like that, it's obviously, uh, you know,
you've been consulting with people who have been given that
sort of feedback and responding accordingly.

S2 (07:08):
We do. We have a disability engagement advisory committee that
provide us a lot of input. And, you know, just
some details of what the segment really need and, and
are looking for, um, as well as our interstate counterparts
and the AEC or the Australian Electoral Commission also give
us some, um, things that they do and help. So
we are taking note of all those things and trying

(07:30):
to see what works best for the community at large,
because not everyone finds it a good experience, and we
want to make it that every four years it's one
to remember and you do come back.

S1 (07:41):
Great point. Now you kind of touched on the website.
That's obviously a great point for people to gather information.
What about how that's coming along in terms of its
accessibility and sort of easy to easy to manage as well?

S2 (07:54):
Yeah, yeah, we do have an accessible website. Um, the
accessibility part has it has an easy read. So if
you want to go on our site, um, and particularly
those vision impaired, they will be able to press that
easy button and it will read out the page. We also, um,
have easy to read guides on on that website. So at. Uh,

(08:18):
there are some publications which are easy read guides, which
are really simplified guides to demystify the whole process and
explain what is really going on. So we do try
putting some publications up as well.

S1 (08:30):
Yes. I was actually having a quick look at your
website before coming to do this interview, and that is
certainly the case that easy read. I mean, those versions
are so popular of all sorts of documents, and sometimes
just the fact that they're so big or bulky or
the language that used can put you off. So if
you have a bit of a simplified version, it just

(08:50):
is a bit more engaging and a bit more inviting
as far as you know, taking the information on goes correct.

S2 (08:56):
And it also helps in terms of the translated material.
So if we can simplify it for the general community,
it makes it easier for the translated material as well.
So they get the same message. And um, yeah, we
all understand what we're meant to do.

S1 (09:07):
And look, that is such a very important message as well,
because it's all all about being inclusive. And I guess
from our point of view, we're particularly interested in people
who are blind or have low vision, but to be
inclusive with, uh, you know, people from other cultures or
people who might have other disabilities, that's that's extremely important too.

S2 (09:24):
Yeah. We have I think it's 21 different languages. Um,
all the items are being translated into 21 different languages,
which is a great thing.

S1 (09:32):
Mac is it too early to talk about when sort
of nominations close as far as people that wish to
stand and those sort of dates that just a little
bit early at this stage.

S2 (09:42):
It's a little early and, um, yeah, it's a little
early to to say that one, but I can give
you some other dates that are probably more interesting to you,
such as, um, early voting, which I had made mentioned before.
That will start as of the 14th of March. And
obviously that's a Saturday. So we need to have seven
days of early voting, but we won't be open on
the Sunday 15th of March, but definitely have extended hours

(10:05):
on the Thursday prior to the state election, which is
on the 21st of March. We also.

S1 (10:10):
Are shopping.

S2 (10:11):
A late night shopping and go to a vote in
the meantime. Well, being the warmer weather, the sun's going out,
so it'll be a good opportunity to to go to
a polling booth near you right now. The other thing
is that we will have postal vote applications, which should
open or be available from a, we'll say, early February. Um,
that is the aim to have everything available early February,
because we do know that postal applications take some time

(10:34):
to get out to community. So we'll go through the
process of opening the postal applications early, and then postal
voting packs will be sent out, or probably 6 or
7 weeks later. Just because we need to know who
the candidates are and to ensure that everyone who is
on the roll and has applied for a postal application
gets their ballot papers as well.

S1 (10:54):
That's a great way for people who might have a
bit of difficulty getting around a bit of mobility issue,
or obviously people who, you know, don't want to necessarily
turn up on the day. If they have that postal vote,
then they can exercise their democratic freedom and also at
the same time vote via the post. So that's a
very important issue.

S2 (11:12):
So very much so. And you'll find that postal application
on our website as well which is easy.

S1 (11:19):
All right. Well Matt thank you. That's a great introduction.
As I said I know we'll speak much more as
the date gets closer. But some really good things I guess,
as I say, particularly from this programme's point of view,
as far as telephone assisted voting, definitely on all the
legislation has been passed, all that sort of stuff is
now cleared, every hurdle, so we just wait for the

(11:39):
date to come around. Just give us your website again
and we'll also put that up with our show notes.
So if people have missed it, they can go to
our show notes and get it. Then of course if
they just Google it, it'll comes up straight away. And
as I say, the quick look I had on it
before coming to it seems like the website is pretty
easy to manage, and I'm sure there'll be more information,
of course, as candidates and those sort of information comes

(12:01):
to hand as well.

S2 (12:02):
Yeah. So everyone can go visit ec.gov. They will be
able to find out all the information that we've talked
about today, and find out more as we get closer
to the election date.

S1 (12:14):
Mac, have a little bit of a break over Christmas
New Year, and I think you'll be hitting the ground
running when you come back in January, and I look
forward to catch up with you a couple more times
before Election Day gets here.

S2 (12:24):
Definitely. And thank you. Have a happy holiday.

S1 (12:27):
Mac, up there from the Electoral Commission here in South Australia.
That's voting March 21st. We'll chat more in the future.
There's a question you'd like us to ask in the future.
Next time we speak to Mac, get in touch with
us and we'll put that question to Mac.