· False enrolments in Indi’s federal Electoral Roll

· State Electoral Roll uncertain

The Australian Electoral Commission’s (AEC) media release of 2 October states that it recently began examining the enrolment details of 27 electors enrolled in the federal electorate of Indi.

This follows several stories in the Australian newspaper (27 September, 2 and 4 October) about supporters of Cathy McGowan allegedly living in Melbourne who had falsely enrolled in Indi.

“It appears that some people who voted in Indi for Cathy McGowan in the federal election were not entitled to do so,” said Mr Lex Stewart, President of Australians for Honest Elections.

“But are these illegitimate enrolments still on the STATE Electoral Roll?”

Electoral Rolls for Victoria will close on 11 November, a mere five weeks into the future, for the State election to be held on 29 November.

“Can the Victorian State Electoral Roll be cleansed of illegitimate enrolments in time?” asked Mr Stewart.

“The sad and sorry state of the Electoral Rolls, which are done jointly by the AEC and State electoral authorities, means that the Victorian State election might be cast into doubt.”

“The Australian National Audit Office audit reports of 2002, 2004, 2010 and 2014 on the ‘Integrity of the Electoral Roll’ (for example

http://www.anao.gov.au/~/media/Uploads/Documents/2003%2004nsnews new_audit_report_39.pdf ) all criticised the AEC’s performance in keeping a good Electoral Roll that could be relied on, ”said Mr Lex Stewart, President of Australians for Honest Elections.

Indi, with about 100,000 voters, includes all or part of 3 or 4 Victorian State seats, each having about 34,000 voters.

Benambra, was won in 2010 by the Liberals with 66% of the two-party preferred votes (TPP)

Murray Valley was won in 2010 by the Nationals with 69% TPP

Benalla was won in 2010 by the Nationals with 73% of the TPP.

The Victorian State election will be held with new boundaries following a re-distribution.

Four seats (Benambra, Ovens Valley, Eildon and Euroa) will be partly or entirely in Indi.

“This redistribution, on top of the AEC’s many problems, means that the Victorian Electoral Commission faces a tough task in getting State Electoral Rolls prepared in time,” said Mr Stewart.

Contact: Lex Stewart, President, Australians for Honest Elections Inc.| lstewart@afhe.org.au | www.afhe.org.au