iVote

iVote® is the Commission's online and telephone voting system which was available for the 2017 State general election. iVote® is a registered trademark of the NSW Electoral Commission. The registration symbol will not be used throughout the rest of this website.

What is the iVote system?

The iVote system is a form of voting using a telephone or the internet at a location of your choice. iVote is compatible with a number of screen reader software.

Who can use the iVote system?

iVote is available to people enrolled to vote in WA who cannot vote without assistance because they:

• have insufficient literacy skills
• are blind or sight impaired
• are otherwise incapacitated.

How do I register for iVote?

The following information illustrates the registration process:

• You must be on the electoral roll
• You will need to make a declaration that you are eligible to use iVote
• You will need to provide a 6 digit personal identification number (PIN)
• You may need to also provide a secondary form of identification i.e. Medicare or Passport number
• Your iVote number will be sent to you via your nominated method, either SMS, email, letter or phone.

Access iVote by Internet or touch tone telephone.

1. Register for iVote

• Make a declaration that you are eligible to use iVote.
• When registering you may need to also provide a secondary form of identification i.e. Medicare or Passport number.
• Provide a 6 digit Personal Identification Number (PIN).
• You will receive (by SMS preferred) a unique 8 digit iVote number.

2. Vote with iVote

• Enter your 6 digit PIN and unique 8 digit iVote number to access voting.
• Instructions for voting are displayed or read out to you.
• Ballot papers are shown on screen or read out to you.
• Select the candidates you wish to vote for.
• Check and confirm your choices.
• Submit your vote when complete.
• A unique 12 digit receipt number will be issued once you have voted.

3. Verify (Optional)

• Verification of iVote is no longer available

Instructions on the ballot specifically from a Desktop and Tablet experience (mobile devices follow a very similar path).

To Vote:

• To access the voting system enter your 8 digit iVote number and 6 digit PIN.
• Tick the box to declare you have not previously voted at this election.
• Number the first candidate of your choice by double clicking (Desktop) or tapping (tablet) on that candidate’s square.
• Alternatively, you can press the N key when you are in the edit box for that candidate.

The Legislative Assembly ballot on iVote by Web    

The ballot is structured as follows:

• At the top of the page there are some short instructions and a link to further Help.
• Next is the ballot title with the name of your voting district.
• This is followed by a set of instructions specific to voting in the Legislative Assembly ballot.
• The candidates are then listed. Each candidate is formatted Surname and then First name with their political affiliation (if any). There is a square to the left of the candidate’s details and this is where you indicate your preference vote.

The Legislative Council ballot on iVote by Web

The ballot page is structured as follows:

• There are some short instructions and a link to further Help.
• This is followed by two links, the first takes you to the start of the Above the Line ticket vote section of the ballot and the second takes you to the start of the Below the Line candidate preference section of the ballot.
• The ballot is made up of two parts: Above the Line and Below the Line. You may vote either Above the Line OR Below the Line.
• Above the line the parties, groups or candidates are listed horizontally.
• Below the line the candidates for each party or group are listed vertically. At the top of each candidate list there is a link which will move you directly to the next column. At the bottom of each group of candidates there is a link that will return you to the top of the column you are currently on.
• Each candidate is displayed in up to three lines: Surname on the first line, then First names, then political affiliation (if any). There is a square to the left of the candidate details and this is where you enter your preference vote.

You can vote either Above the Line or Below the Line.

Voting above the line

• Indicate your most preferred party, group, or individual of your choice by double clicking on that relevant square.
• Alternatively, you can press the N key when you are in the edit box for that party, group or individual.

Voting below the line

• If you vote Below the Line you must number all squares for all candidates in the order of your choice.
• You must assign consecutive numbers to all squares for your vote to be counted.

Who can vote using iVote?

iVote is available to eligible electors enrolled in WA, who cannot vote without assistance because they:

• Have insufficient literacy skills or
• Are sight impaired or
• Are otherwise incapacitated.

Will the VoteAssist system (used at last WA State Election) be available again?

No. iVote however has been designed as a more accessible form of voting for more eligible electors unable to vote without assistance. Unlike VoteAssist, iVote offers the convenience of allowing the elector to vote anywhere using an internet enabled computer or touch tone telephone.

How does this online process help me if I am vision impaired?

The iVote service has been designed specifically to enable voters who are blind or have low vision to cast a secret ballot. The online and phone elections have been created in consultation with disability groups and specialists to be responsive and simple to navigate. The system has been designed to work with existing assistive technologies such as JAWS and Window Eyes. Because the ballot is presented as an online form you will need to have good familiarity with online forms completion if you choose to vote using the internet and a screen reader.

Features of the online process:

• Accessibility tested.
• Well-constructed web pages with logical top to bottom information flow.
• Clearly labelled form elements.
• Consistent placement of page content and page navigation.
• Explicit ballot instructions prior to ballot page.
• Links to move around the ballot offering more flexibility.

Alternatively, iVote by Phone has been designed to provide a highly intuitive voice-output voting experience, and does not require computing experience to use.

Features of the touch tone telephone process:

• Clear and detailed instructions.
• Consistent and clear ballot order and layout.
• Speed control for audio prompts.
• "*" (star) option menu which allows flexibility of movement through the ballot and accesses tools for ease of use.
• Pause button.

How secure is it to use the iVote system?

Extremely safe and secure. There are safeguards in place to protect your vote from risks including hackers and fraud, with multiple layers of protection and monitoring to ensure voter secrecy, privacy and security.

Is it safe to vote online?

Yes. Your online vote is fully encrypted and safeguarded. Your electronic vote will arrive at the WA Electoral Commission encrypted and cannot be tampered with or changed. It will be unlocked by a group of officials who will print and count your vote record, along with all other votes received. Your vote is completely secret, and your name is not associated with your submitted vote.

When can I register to vote using iVote?

Registration to use iVote is closed.

How do I register to vote using iVote?

When registering you may need to also provide a secondary form of identification such as Medicare or Passport number.

To Register:

• You must be on the WA electoral roll.
• You will need to make a declaration that you are eligible to use iVote.
• You will need to provide a 6 digit Personal Identification Number (PIN).
• Your unique iVote number will then be sent to you by your nominated method of delivery e.g. SMS text.

How is my iVote number sent to me?

Various options are offered during registration - SMS text to mobile number is the preferred option. Other options include email, post and (within Australia) a personal phone call.

What if I lose or don’t receive my iVote number?

Your iVote number will be retrieved and resent to you. Your unique iVote number is of no use to anyone else without your PIN.

What if I forget my PIN?

As the PIN is a secret number known only to you, your only option is to re-register. Helpdesk staff will be able to re-register you. You will select a PIN and they will issue you a new iVote number. The original iVote number will be cancelled.

When I enter my PIN and iVote number I don’t get access to the iVote system?

Make sure that you are entering all your information correctly as instructed on the screen or over the telephone. Your iVote number was sent to you via the method you nominated, SMS text, email, post or phone call. Your iVote number is an eight digit number. Your PIN is the six digit number that you supplied when you registered to use iVote.

How do I mark my ballot online?

Please review the voting instructions within the iVote system or on this website for detailed instructions on how to vote.

What happens if I lose internet connection during the iVote process?

As you complete each page in the voting process and select ‘continue’, the content on that page is saved. When your connection is resumed, you can login and continue voting. If you were on the first page and hadn’t, moved on there will be no data saved.

Once I have submitted my ballot online, have I completed the voting process?

After you make your choices, you will be taken to a summary page where you can confirm (select “Submit Vote”), or change your choices. Once you press the “Submit Vote” button on the summary page, your vote will be encrypted and stored until the polls close, when it will be decrypted and printed for entry into the count.

If you do not press the “Submit Vote” button, your vote will not be cast!

I have already submitted a vote. Can I log in again and change my selections?

No. Once you submit your ballot, you cannot log in again or change your votes. If you have not yet submitted your ballot, you can log in again to review, change or complete your selections.

How do I know that my ballot was processed in the count?

After you submit your ballot, the system will generate a unique 12 digit receipt number. Write down the receipt number, or print out the page and keep it along with your iVote number. After the election you can use your 12 digit receipt number to verify that your vote was processed in the count.

Is the iVote system available in other languages?

No. Unfortunately the iVote system is currently only available in the English language.

Can I use my mobile phone to vote?

Yes. Smart mobile phones can be used to register and vote in the same way as a computer.

What web browsers are compatible with the election software?

Recent versions of Internet Explorer, Firefox, Google Chrome, iOS and Safari are all compatible with the iVote software.

Is there a technology assisted alternative to the Internet method of voting?

Yes. iVote by touch tone telephone is also available.

iVote by Phone has been designed to provide a highly intuitive voice-output voting experience, and does not require computing experience to use.

Features of the touch tone telephone process:

• Clear and detailed instructions.
• Consistent and clear ballot order and layout.
• Speed control for audio prompts.
• "*" (star) option menu which allows flexibility of movement through the ballot and accesses tools for ease of use.
• Pause button.

Note: even if you are an experienced screen reader user, we request that you read these instructions, especially the sections on Recording Your Vote Preferences or Choices on a ballot.

After accessibility testing and consultation at VisAbility in Perth, the following outcomes need to be considered:

• BrailleNote Touch (Android 4.4) has accessibility issues and is not compatible with iVote.
• ZoomText is accessible with the Microsoft IE/Edge, Chrome and Firefox, however the ballot papers do not present well in Doc Reader and a better experience is gained by having the App Reader enabled.
• NVDA is accessible with the Microsoft IE/Edge, Firefox and Chrome, however Firefox users should use the tab key for navigation. It was also important to activate the ‘out of form’ mode to read pop up messages.
• Jaws (version 17 and 18) performs well with the Microsoft IE/Edge, Chrome and Firefox.
• MacOS 10 (El Capitan) with VoiceOver is fully accessible with Safari.
• Using VoiceOver on iOS devices has accessibility issues and is not recommended at this stage.

Using iVote with Windows Screen Readers

iVote by Web includes W3C-Compliant ARIA landmarks to make the navigation experience in the iVote system more efficient for users who have an ARIA-aware screen reader such as JAWS 12 or NVDA.

iVote by web has been designed with accessibility in mind, but the process of voting online involves extensive navigation of complex forms, especially if you intend voting below the line on the Legislative Council ballot.

This reliance on forms means that you will need a strong familiarity with completing website forms with your screen reader. For example knowing how to activate and deactivate forms mode in JAWS or how to switch browse mode off or on in Window Eyes.

For best results, it is recommended that you first review each ballot page with forms mode off in JAWS or with browse mode on in Window Eyes, to understand its overall layout and general operation.

Then you can activate forms mode or disable browse mode to start adding choices to the ballot. The Tab key is the most reliable way to move between groups or candidates on the ballot.

The ballot layout for the Legislative Council

The ballot page for the Legislative Council is made up of two parts: Above the Line and Below the Line. You may vote either Above the Line OR Below the Line. Above the line, the parties, groups or candidates are listed horizontally. Below the line, the candidates for each party or group are listed vertically. At the top of each candidate list there is a link which will move you directly to the next column. At the bottom of each group of candidates there is a link that will return you to the top of the column you are currently on.

Recording Your Vote Preferences or Choices on a ballot

To add a choice or preference, you need to be in Forms Mode in JAWS or have Browse mode turned off in Window eyes.

When you are on a candidate to whom you wish to give your next vote preference, type the N key when in the edit box for that candidate, to allocate them your next choice number.

Note: Although your screen reader won't automatically announce the preference number given to that candidate when you press the letter N, the number is automatically inserted into the edit box. You can check this by using the current line command in your screen reader.

Important note: Pressing the letter N is the only way to add a vote preference or choice number to a candidate or group with a screen reader. iVote by Web does not accept numbers typed into edit boxes on the ballot. If you try to type numbers into edit boxes, your screen reader may speak the digits you type, but they will not appear in the edit box.

ARIA Landmarks

If you have a recent version of JAWS or some other screen readers such as NVDA, then you will notice that there are ARIA landmarks on some of the ballot pages. ARIA landmarks allow you to jump very quickly to different parts of the webpage.

For example, in iVote by Web, on the Legislative Council Ballot, the ARIA landmarks move you between Above the Line and Below the Line voting, and also provide a very quick way to move to the top of each group of candidates listed below the line.

In JAWS, when you are out of forms mode, you can move to the next landmark by pressing the semicolon key and return to the previous landmark by pressing Shift semicolon. You can also bring up a list of all ARIA Landmarks on the page by pressing insert with control with the semicolon key.

If your screen reader doesn't support ARIA Landmarks, then you are still able to move from group to group when voting below the line by using the jump links found at the top and bottom of each group.

Accessing iVote By Web using VoiceOver on the Mac.

You can use all the standard webpage navigation and interaction features of VoiceOver to review and complete ballots in iVote by Web.

Recording Your Vote Preferences or Choices on a ballot

When you are on the edit box for a group or candidate to which you wish to give your next choice, type the N key when in the edit box for that group or candidate to allocate them your next choice number.

Note: VoiceOver will announce the preference or choice number a second or so after you press the N key.

Important note: Pressing the letter N is the only way to add a vote preference or choice number to a candidate or group with VoiceOver. iVote by Web does not accept numbers typed into edit boxes on the ballot. If you try to type numbers into edit boxes, VoiceOver may speak the digits you type, but they will not appear in the edit box.

ARIA Landmarks

VoiceOver on the Mac provides some support of ARIA Landmarks, and you can also move between below the line groups using the navigation links at the top and bottom of each group.

You can keep this help window open for reference, or you can close it and return to iVote by Web.

The Electoral Act 1907 requires the Electoral Commissioner to approve and publish procedures in relation to technology assisted voting. Throughout this document excerpts from the Act are quoted. Where the legislation is quoted it will appear in italics prior to the written procedures.

Approved procedures (PDF 596 KB)

Read the letter of audit (PDF 471KB) and auditor's recommendations (PDF 1.1MB).