Federal election assistance in different languages

The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) has a range of information and services available to help voters from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds participate in this year’s federal election.

Electoral Commissioner, Mr Ed Killesteyn, said it was important for all voters to understand the electoral process and have the opportunity to cast a valid vote.

“Services to assist voters from a culturally and linguistically diverse background are an important part of the AEC’s effort to ensure every eligible Australian has the opportunity to have their vote counted in the federal election,” Mr Killesteyn said.

“This involves having access to information in language so that people from non-English speaking backgrounds can understand when, where and how to vote.

“Translations of the AEC’s official guide to the 2013 federal election, as well as a ‘How to make your vote count’ factsheet, are available in 26 languages.

“On election day itself, bilingual Voter Information Officers will be available to assist voters in 24 electorates across New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia.

“Specifically, we’ve looked at where there are polling places and communities that have had a very high level of informal votes at the last election, where the provision of bilingual information officers could assist,” Mr Killesteyn said. The Voter Information Officers will be identified with a badge and poster indicating the language they speak.

Other bilingual polling officials are also employed wherever possible and appropriate. Translated material will also be available in polling places including posters and flip-books with instructions on how to vote. These have been translated into 26 languages.

In addition, the AEC has also conducted a number of activities in the lead-up to the 2013 election to assist voters from a culturally and linguistically diverse background.

“To date, the AEC has held 95 education workshops in communities with a large number of people from non-English speaking backgrounds, to increase voter knowledge and address the rate of informality,” Mr Killesteyn said.

A team of bilingual educators are delivering the interactive workshops in languages including Arabic, Cantonese, Mandarin, Vietnamese, Afghani, Persian, and Korean. An interactive ‘how to vote’ practice tool is available on the AEC website along with translated material. The AEC also translated its advertisements into 19 other languages.

AEC representatives have conducted interviews in language on ethnic and community radio stations and provided information to ethnic media and community groups. A telephone interpreting service also provides voting assistance in more than 16 languages.