Over 16M can participate in Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey, AEC reveals

Two bride figurines adorn the top of a wedding cake during an illegal same-sex wedding ceremony in central Melbourne August 1, 2009. Reuters/Mick Tsikas

The Australian Electoral Commission has announced that more than 16 million Aussies can participate in the Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey, leading to a new record high. The AEC had processed 765,000 enrolment transactions since the survey was announced.

Electoral Commissioner Tom Rogers said high enrolment rate has been maintained at the previous federal election before the announcement of the marriage survey. “An estimated 95 percent of eligible Australians were enrolled at the 2016 federal election, increasing marginally to 95.3 percent at 31 July,” he said in a media release posted on the AEC site.

Rogers said they expect the figure to reach a record high when processing is completed. He added the maintenance of the roll is a key achievement given the trend throughout recent electoral cycles for enrolment rates to dip mid-cycle.

Of the 765,000 enrolment transactions processed up to last week, 90,000 were added to the roll. The AEC is expected to release final enrolment figures for the Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey this week.

The survey, which is voluntary, will cover all Aussies on the electoral roll. All those on the roll will have access to all the documentation needed to allow them to participate.

The Treasurer has directed the Australian Statistician to request statistical information from all Aussies on the Commonwealth Electoral Roll as to their stand on whether or not the law must be changed to allow same sex couples to marry. It has formed a taskforce, which includes staff from the Australian Electoral Commission seconded under ABS legislation, to deliver the survey.

Details on the process to be followed for the Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey were released by the ABS, and it will provide further information when they are available. These include supporting participation by all eligible Aussie, including those with no mail access, overseas and vision impaired.

Furthermore, the ABS pledges that all materials will be destroyed at the end of processing. The ABS website states that it will conduct the statistical collection through the authority of the Census and Statistics Act 1905 to maintain the secrecy of the data. The ABS will reportedly publish the results by November 5.

The AEC will send electoral roll data to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) once processing of outstanding enrolment transactions is finalised. Further details about the survey can be viewed at the ABS website. Aussies can also contact the Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey Information Line.