What will the referendum ballot paper look like, and what will you need to do to make your vote counted on October 14, 2023?
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00:00 Australians are about to vote in the first referendum since 1999. When you head
00:05 down to your local polling booth on October 14, the ballot paper you'll be
00:09 handed might look a little different to the ones that you've seen on election
00:12 days. The referendum paper will look like this one. Instead of numbering candidates
00:17 you'll be asked simply write yes or no in the box provided. The box will appear
00:21 on the ballot paper opposite the question. In some cases the Australian
00:26 Electoral Commission will allow a vote where the intention is clear even if the
00:30 words yes or no have not been clearly written. For example a clear Y or an N
00:36 can indicate the voters intention. But this is a risky move. Anything that could
00:41 be up to interpretation or challenged could ultimately be left out of the
00:46 count. Drawing a cross or a tick on the ballot paper could also be challenged
00:51 and so the Electoral Commission really advises against doing this. The reason
00:55 being that on many forms used in daily life and in many languages either a
00:59 cross or a tick is used to represent a checkmark. That means both could be
01:04 interpreted to mean yes and particularly with a cross it could also mean no.
01:08 Because it's unclear there's a chance both types of vote will be considered
01:12 informal and won't be counted. If you make a mistake on your ballot paper on
01:17 referendum day don't worry. You can ask for another piece of paper and simply
01:22 start again. All votes whether made on October 14 or cast early will need to be
01:28 made physically. There will be no electronic voting in this referendum. In
01:33 some cases voting will be allowed by telephone and there will be options for
01:37 postal voters too. Alternatives will also be available for non-english speakers,
01:42 blind or low vision voters and those who require additional reading support.
01:47 Information for those voters is available via the official Electoral
01:51 Commission website.
01:54 you
01:57 you
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