Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:C2007A00022:clause:2_73m
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:C2007A00022
Segment Type: clause
Provision Reference: sch 2 cl 73M
Character Range: 41202–43789

73M  Regulations may provide for voting by an electronically assisted voting method

 (1) Subject to subsection (2), the regulations may provide for sight‑impaired people to vote by an electronically assisted voting method at the first referendum held after the commencement of this section.

 (2) The regulations must provide that a person may vote by an electronically assisted voting method at the referendum referred to in subsection (1) only if the referendum is held on the same day as an election at which sight‑impaired people are able to vote by an electronically assisted voting method under regulations that have effect for the purposes of Division 1 of Part XVB of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918.

 (3) Without limiting the generality of subsection (1), the regulations may:
 (a) determine, or provide for the determination of, the following:
 (i) the electronically assisted voting method;
 (ii) matters related to the voting using the electronically assisted voting method, including the provision of assistance to persons using the method, what has to be done after a person has used the method, and matters of privacy and secrecy;
 (iii) the number of places where the electronically assisted voting method is to be available, where those places are, and the days and hours when the method is to be available;
 (iv) which persons may use the electronically assisted voting method, including a process of applying to use the method; and
 (b) allow the electronically assisted voting method to be used in a particular period before voting day, as well as on voting day; and
 (c) provide for other matters related to the integrity of the use of the electronically assisted voting method.

 (4) The electronically assisted voting method must be such that a person using the method at the referendum referred to in subsection (1):
 (a) receives the same information (in the same order), and has the same voting options, as would appear in the ballot‑paper for the referendum that the person would be given if he or she were instead voting under Part III; and
 (b) is able to indicate his or her vote in a way that, if he or she were instead marking a ballot‑paper, would satisfy the requirements of section 24.

 (5) The regulations may provide for offences in relation to the electronically assisted voting method, and may prescribe penalties for those offences. A prescribed penalty must not exceed 50 penalty units.

 (6) Nothing in this Division or in regulations made for the purposes of this Division authorises any person to vote more than once at a referendum.