There are all kinds of ways to encourage you to get enrolled to vote. There’s this spoof that GetUp put together. You might have seen it on Q&A Monday night?
There’s also this dotpointed cheat sheet, which you might like to copy and paste and pass around your email list.
Please enrol. Please?
- The previous (Liberal) government introduced laws that make it difficult to enrol to vote once the election is called
- If you’re enrolling for the first time (like, you just turned 18 recently): you have until 8pm the same day the writ is issued.
- If you’re updating your details: you have until 8pm three days after the writ is issued.
- A writ is issued between one and four days after the PM announces the election date. You won’t know. Probably until it’s too late.
What does this mean?
- You have VERY LITTLE time to vote once the PM announces the election date.
- The election is about to be called, any day/week now. You really really really need to get enrolled now.
I’m worked up about this and think you should be, too, because:
- These laws disadvantage young people (first-time voters), and people who move a lot for uni or work or travel)…who tend to be youngish also.
- I’m not going to pass comment on how wrong it is to have election laws that disadvantage young people, or speculate as to why a government would legislate to make it so hard for young, mobile people who tend to vote to the Left from being properly enrolled…Nope, not a word.
- You’ll be fined $110 if you don’t vote. Not cool. And rather messy. Best avoided by doing the below.
Instead I urge you to, check out the Electoral Commission’s Famous People Vote Too site, and:
- click here to check you’re enrolled properly.Takes two seconds.
- And here to enrol if it’s your first time.
The end.
