Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Now we know that. Well, I think you'd have to
be living under a rock to not know that the
Northern Territory election was held just weeks ago. It feels
like a long long time ago now that Territorians went
to the polls for the NT election. But as we know,
there are penalties for those who are on the electoral
roll and didn't turn out to cast their vote, with
(00:20):
failure to vote notices now being sent out and joining
us on the line to tell us a little bit
more about the situation is the Northern Territory Electoral Commissioner
Kirsten Kelly, Good morning to you, Commissioner.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Good morning Katie.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
Now, how many people didn't cast their vote at the
NT election.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
So at the close of roles we had one hundred
and fifty hundred and fifty people on the roll and
we had one hundred and four thousand, nine hundred and
one people vote in the election. So there is around
fifty thousand people that didn't didn't vote cast a vote
in the twenty four election.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
Well, they are I mean, they're big numbers. Do we
know if there's certain sort of areas where people may
be didn't turn out as heavily to vote as what
they may have previously.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
So across all the divisions in the territory, there was
a decline in participation from the twenty twenty election, with
the exception of the Daily division, which saw a point
three increase in participation. So, as I mentioned throughout the
election that our role is the healthiest it's ever been
at ninety three percent. So since twenty twenty, we have
an additional twelve thousand people on the electoral role, and
(01:25):
that doesn't equate to population increase, so there's more people
in roll. So we're seeing that through participation potentially declining
as well, and then we're seeing an increase in apparent
value to vote. Notice it's being sent.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
Yeah, right, So just took us through those numbers again,
So how many are on the electoral role and how
many actually turned.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
Up so on the electoral role, So at the close
of roles for the election, which was on the first
of August, there was one hundred and fifty two two
hundred and fifty people on the role that we were
required to participate in the election, and so one hundred
and four thousand, nine hundred and one people cast a
vote in the election. So that doesn't include people who
(02:04):
participated by letting us know that they weren't able to
vote because they may have been away. So all of
these numbers get reduced before we issue the apparent failure
to vote notices to people. So there is a decline,
and we do look at locations see geographic location of voters.
We look at the age of electors, so we remove
(02:24):
electors over seventy from that apparent value to note list
geographic locations where mailing services may not be the most
reliable or accessible because we do send the infringement notices
through the mail.
Speaker 1 (02:36):
Yeah, right, But so it does sound as though notices
are now being sent out. Is that correct?
Speaker 2 (02:42):
That's correct. So on from the twenty eighth of October,
over twenty one thousand notices were sent to electors by post.
Speaker 1 (02:50):
And what happens now with that process, like, do people
either have to prove why they couldn't vote or either
that or they've got a front up and they've got
to pay the fine.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
Yeah, so there's a few options when a person receives
that letter, So they've got until the twenty fifth of
November to reply to that notice, and there is a
reply paid envelope in that correspondence for them to send
back their response. So the options if you received that
correspondents are to let us know in writing that you voted.
So sometimes people do vote and they might have been
an administrative error and incorrectly marked off the role. So
(03:23):
if we're provided with details of where the person did vote,
we can investigate that an elector doesn't vote, but they
believe they have a reason for not voting, and they
provide this reason, then the Commission will review that reason
and no further action will be taken if it's deemed sufficient,
or they can pay the twenty five dollars excreation fee.
Speaker 1 (03:41):
Well, look, I think if you know, if you don't
turn up to vote, you don't have a valid reason.
I think everybody should exercise their democratic rite and get
out there and make sure that they do vote. Otherwise,
don't complain about decisions that the government of the day
is making. That's my humble opinion, Commissioner, But I don't
expect you to weigh it on that. Tell me in
(04:02):
terms of now sort of the wash up following on
from the election. We know that those fines or those
notices are being sent out and people will have to
pay those fines if they don't have a valid reason
to not have voted. But what where are things out
like in terms of sort of looking at the wash
up following on from the election, and is there a
review following on from the election more broadly about how
(04:25):
things worked well and maybe the things that didn't work
so well. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
Absolutely So during the electionary May this year, we released
a service plan about how the election was going to
be delivered by the Commission, So as part of our
evaluation post election, we'll review our service delivery and the
elements of the Electoral Act to inform our report. And
you may say all our election reports that they're quite
in depth and available on the Antech website, and they
(04:49):
do include recommendation, so they may be operational things that
we look at adjusting internally and how we run election,
but they also recommend electoral reforms. So one that we
have been advocating at the Commission for is an increase
in that infringement notice fine to fifty dollars, which it
used to be for local government elections, so with and
(05:10):
they both for local government and legis of Assembly, it's
now twenty five dollars. So looking to advocate for an
increase in that infringement.
Speaker 1 (05:17):
Notice, I reckon it's a good idea. I think, you know,
if I actually think if you're not going to be
bothered to turn up to vote, well, fair enough if
you get a fine. So you guys are actually advocating
for that that increase.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
That's correct. So it has did appear in the twenty
twenty one Local Government election report as a recommendation and
it's something will certainly look to continue to advocate for
as looking for ways to support participation in elections.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
Yeah, fair enough. And is there anything else that you
know that has sort of stood out post election that
you think, all right, we might need to look at
some changes in these areas.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
So we are we will be reaching out in the
coming months and talking to stakeholders, particularly electoral participants, and
looking at matters which include campaigning prohibsion zones and things
like that, just to get feedback from them as well
as as we shape any recommendations in the election report.
So certainly looking at those areas, looking at ways that
we can improve service delivery, working with stakeholders as well
(06:16):
postal services to see how we can improve services. So
it is quite a comprehensive review as well as looking
at our systems performance as well to see if we
can improve systems to support the whole service delivery and elections.
Speaker 1 (06:29):
One of the things I've noticed that's being discussed sort
of a little bit more was discussed a little I
supose throughout our election campaign, but it was discussed quite extensively.
I noted in watching the coverage of the queenslande election
as well, and that is the number of days prior
to the actual election that people can go on early votes.
So there was discussion about whether it should be less
(06:51):
than two weeks or whether it should continue to be
two weeks. Is that something that the Commission is going
to have a closer look at, So we'll say we.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
Again look at those things with regards to how people
participate over those two weeks. We did see in the
two week early voting it was very popular and obviously
having two weeks opportunity, I think it was well over
sixty thousand compared to I think twenty three thousand on
election day, and obviously there's more opportunity. But I think
that convenience voting is well received from participants, so we
(07:21):
would need to have a look at that as well,
and also the territory is very big, one point three
five million square kilometers, so we provide a service where
there's ten people or more on the electoral role, so
that two weeks of early voting allows us to get
around the territory and provide that service. So there's a
lot to consider if there wasn't any changes to the
period of time for early voting.
Speaker 1 (07:43):
Yeah, I think it's a really good point. Like I
find it very convenient, and I'll put the question out
there to our listeners. I'm sure that they will give
us their opinions. But yeah, I do think it's good
to enable that convenience and hopefully it means that if
it's convenient for people to get out there and vote,
that they'll go and do so.
Speaker 2 (08:00):
Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (08:01):
Yeah, well, Commissioner, I always appreciate your time. Thank you
very much for having your chat with me this.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
Morning, anytime at all, Katie, have a great day.
Speaker 1 (08:07):
Thank you you too,
Now we know that. Well, I think you'd have to
be living under a rock to not know that the
Northern Territory election was held just weeks ago. It feels
like a long long time ago now that Territorians went
to the polls for the NT election. But as we know,
there are penalties for those who are on the electoral
roll and didn't turn out to cast their vote, with
(00:20):
failure to vote notices now being sent out and joining
us on the line to tell us a little bit
more about the situation is the Northern Territory Electoral Commissioner
Kirsten Kelly, Good morning to you, Commissioner.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Good morning Katie.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
Now, how many people didn't cast their vote at the
NT election.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
So at the close of roles we had one hundred
and fifty hundred and fifty people on the roll and
we had one hundred and four thousand, nine hundred and
one people vote in the election. So there is around
fifty thousand people that didn't didn't vote cast a vote
in the twenty four election.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
Well, they are I mean, they're big numbers. Do we
know if there's certain sort of areas where people may
be didn't turn out as heavily to vote as what
they may have previously.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
So across all the divisions in the territory, there was
a decline in participation from the twenty twenty election, with
the exception of the Daily division, which saw a point
three increase in participation. So, as I mentioned throughout the
election that our role is the healthiest it's ever been
at ninety three percent. So since twenty twenty, we have
an additional twelve thousand people on the electoral role, and
(01:25):
that doesn't equate to population increase, so there's more people
in roll. So we're seeing that through participation potentially declining
as well, and then we're seeing an increase in apparent
value to vote. Notice it's being sent.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
Yeah, right, So just took us through those numbers again,
So how many are on the electoral role and how
many actually turned.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
Up so on the electoral role, So at the close
of roles for the election, which was on the first
of August, there was one hundred and fifty two two
hundred and fifty people on the role that we were
required to participate in the election, and so one hundred
and four thousand, nine hundred and one people cast a
vote in the election. So that doesn't include people who
(02:04):
participated by letting us know that they weren't able to
vote because they may have been away. So all of
these numbers get reduced before we issue the apparent failure
to vote notices to people. So there is a decline,
and we do look at locations see geographic location of voters.
We look at the age of electors, so we remove
(02:24):
electors over seventy from that apparent value to note list
geographic locations where mailing services may not be the most
reliable or accessible because we do send the infringement notices
through the mail.
Speaker 1 (02:36):
Yeah, right, But so it does sound as though notices
are now being sent out. Is that correct?
Speaker 2 (02:42):
That's correct. So on from the twenty eighth of October,
over twenty one thousand notices were sent to electors by post.
Speaker 1 (02:50):
And what happens now with that process, like, do people
either have to prove why they couldn't vote or either
that or they've got a front up and they've got
to pay the fine.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
Yeah, so there's a few options when a person receives
that letter, So they've got until the twenty fifth of
November to reply to that notice, and there is a
reply paid envelope in that correspondence for them to send
back their response. So the options if you received that
correspondents are to let us know in writing that you voted.
So sometimes people do vote and they might have been
an administrative error and incorrectly marked off the role. So
(03:23):
if we're provided with details of where the person did vote,
we can investigate that an elector doesn't vote, but they
believe they have a reason for not voting, and they
provide this reason, then the Commission will review that reason
and no further action will be taken if it's deemed sufficient,
or they can pay the twenty five dollars excreation fee.
Speaker 1 (03:41):
Well, look, I think if you know, if you don't
turn up to vote, you don't have a valid reason.
I think everybody should exercise their democratic rite and get
out there and make sure that they do vote. Otherwise,
don't complain about decisions that the government of the day
is making. That's my humble opinion, Commissioner, But I don't
expect you to weigh it on that. Tell me in
(04:02):
terms of now sort of the wash up following on
from the election. We know that those fines or those
notices are being sent out and people will have to
pay those fines if they don't have a valid reason
to not have voted. But what where are things out
like in terms of sort of looking at the wash
up following on from the election, and is there a
review following on from the election more broadly about how
(04:25):
things worked well and maybe the things that didn't work
so well. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
Absolutely So during the electionary May this year, we released
a service plan about how the election was going to
be delivered by the Commission, So as part of our
evaluation post election, we'll review our service delivery and the
elements of the Electoral Act to inform our report. And
you may say all our election reports that they're quite
in depth and available on the Antech website, and they
(04:49):
do include recommendation, so they may be operational things that
we look at adjusting internally and how we run election,
but they also recommend electoral reforms. So one that we
have been advocating at the Commission for is an increase
in that infringement notice fine to fifty dollars, which it
used to be for local government elections, so with and
(05:10):
they both for local government and legis of Assembly, it's
now twenty five dollars. So looking to advocate for an
increase in that infringement.
Speaker 1 (05:17):
Notice, I reckon it's a good idea. I think, you know,
if I actually think if you're not going to be
bothered to turn up to vote, well, fair enough if
you get a fine. So you guys are actually advocating
for that that increase.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
That's correct. So it has did appear in the twenty
twenty one Local Government election report as a recommendation and
it's something will certainly look to continue to advocate for
as looking for ways to support participation in elections.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
Yeah, fair enough. And is there anything else that you
know that has sort of stood out post election that
you think, all right, we might need to look at
some changes in these areas.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
So we are we will be reaching out in the
coming months and talking to stakeholders, particularly electoral participants, and
looking at matters which include campaigning prohibsion zones and things
like that, just to get feedback from them as well
as as we shape any recommendations in the election report.
So certainly looking at those areas, looking at ways that
we can improve service delivery, working with stakeholders as well
(06:16):
postal services to see how we can improve services. So
it is quite a comprehensive review as well as looking
at our systems performance as well to see if we
can improve systems to support the whole service delivery and elections.
Speaker 1 (06:29):
One of the things I've noticed that's being discussed sort
of a little bit more was discussed a little I
supose throughout our election campaign, but it was discussed quite extensively.
I noted in watching the coverage of the queenslande election
as well, and that is the number of days prior
to the actual election that people can go on early votes.
So there was discussion about whether it should be less
(06:51):
than two weeks or whether it should continue to be
two weeks. Is that something that the Commission is going
to have a closer look at, So we'll say we.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
Again look at those things with regards to how people
participate over those two weeks. We did see in the
two week early voting it was very popular and obviously
having two weeks opportunity, I think it was well over
sixty thousand compared to I think twenty three thousand on
election day, and obviously there's more opportunity. But I think
that convenience voting is well received from participants, so we
(07:21):
would need to have a look at that as well,
and also the territory is very big, one point three
five million square kilometers, so we provide a service where
there's ten people or more on the electoral role, so
that two weeks of early voting allows us to get
around the territory and provide that service. So there's a
lot to consider if there wasn't any changes to the
period of time for early voting.
Speaker 1 (07:43):
Yeah, I think it's a really good point. Like I
find it very convenient, and I'll put the question out
there to our listeners. I'm sure that they will give
us their opinions. But yeah, I do think it's good
to enable that convenience and hopefully it means that if
it's convenient for people to get out there and vote,
that they'll go and do so.
Speaker 2 (08:00):
Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (08:01):
Yeah, well, Commissioner, I always appreciate your time. Thank you
very much for having your chat with me this.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
Morning, anytime at all, Katie, have a great day.
Speaker 1 (08:07):
Thank you you too,
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