Workers in aged care are advised that their residents will not be able to vote onsite at their facilities in the 2022 federal election. They will have to do a postal vote instead, and in many cases may require staff help to do so.
This is the first time that Australia’s approximately 191,00 voters who live in aged care have not been able to vote at their facilities via the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) mobile voting teams. The AEC has disabled mobile voting this year to mitigate the COVID-19 risk.
Residents will instead have to apply for a postal vote online or by contacting 13 23 26. For the 2022 federal election, all postal vote applications must be received by the AEC by 6pm local time Wednesday 18 May.
Residents who are voting by post must complete their ballot by Saturday 21 May and return the ballot to the AEC in the supplied envelop ASAP.
Residents who are mobile themselves are of course still able to vote by attending an early voting centre from Monday 9 May, or attending a polling centre on election day, Saturday 21 May 2022.
Voters with COVID
Legislation was passed in early 2022 to allow for COVID-affected voters to cast a telephone vote. Telephone voting for people with COVID-19 will be an emergency measure for the final three voting days only (Thursday 19 May, Friday 20 May and Saturday 21 May). Anyone diagnosed with COVID-19 before Wednesday 18 May and whose isolation period will include election day can apply for a postal vote.
Residents who are blind or have low vision may also be eligible to cast their vote through the AEC’s telephone voting service.
