7 March
Limitations on access to polling places
The Education Department has advised that if a school is chosen as a polling place, political parties and candidates for the election cannot be given access or approval to enter the school before the morning of the election. This includes attaching posters to the outside of the school fence.
Political parties and candidates are asked to be aware of school users, as well as the general safety of students and staff, when erecting election material on school grounds. Concern has been raised by some schools that this consideration was not practised at the recent Federal election. Parties were found putting up election material from 4pm on the Friday before election day whilst school users were still accessing the premises. In one case, a party worker was found climbing a fence to gain early access to the school grounds.
The Commission advises all parties and candidates to be aware that some schools provide after-school care for students, as well as providing other extracurricular activities on school premises that involve students.
It should also be noted that many other polling places (e.g. recreation centres, community resources centres and halls) may also be booked for other uses on the Friday evening before election day and the placement of campaign signage should only follow the cessation of these activities.
Electronic media blackout
The media blackout period is covered by Commonwealth legislation and is administered by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA). Further information can be obtained from ACMA website.
Scrutineers
Scrutineers should remember that there is only one scrutineer per candidate / party per count table, whether at a polling place or the Count Centre.
Scrutineers will not be admitted to counting areas unless they have a completed PP16 Scrutineer Appointment and Declaration form.
Further information is available from the Scrutineer Information Sheet.
The Scrutineer Information Sheet contains relevant details for election night at the Count Centre. Following election night, scrutineers at the Count Centre are advised to check with Count Centre staff concerning operational times.