Electoral Support For Non-English Speakers And Those With Low Levels Of Literacy

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A reader writes:

I have come across the argument that Australia introduced changes in its electoral system to allow people with low levels of literacy or non-English speakers to participate.

I don't know exactly what the person was referring to, but have you come across this in any history of Australia's voting methods?

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1. the Australian Electoral Commission conducts multi-lingual education and all official electoral material is produced in a variety of languages.

2. the AEC is mandated to conduct electoral education in conjuction with community groups and does a lot of work with migrant community groups and the like.

3. the 'roll reviews' conducted by the AEC, including doorknocking of electorates, ensure that the electoral roll is up-to-date.

4. during election campaigns, the AEC advertises widely in print, on radio, television, and in other media, providing advice on how and where to vote. During the 2001 elections, the AEC spent $10.4 million on advertising.

5. the political parties complement this by producing material in different languages.

6. in 1984 a variety of reforms were introduced to assist people to cast valid votes, including:
   • Above-the-line voting (Group Voting Tickets) in the Senate - this dramatically reduced the informal vote.

   • putting the names of candidates' political parties on the ballot paper

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