Aussies in Phuket called to submit postal votes for May 21 election
THE AUSTRALIAN Consulate-General for Phuket and neighbouring provinces is calling for all Australians in Phuket and nearby to register to cast their postal votes for the upcoming general election in Australia on May 21.
The consulate has posted
a notice on its official website explaining the requirements and conditions for submitting a postal vote.
“The next federal election will be held on 21 May 2022. If you are still in Australia, you can pre-poll vote from 9 May 2022.
“The AEC recommends
overseas voters cast a postal
vote in this election. If you plan to be overseas at the time
of the election, make sure you check your enrollment and request a postal vote as soon as possible on the AEC website,” the notice said.
Australians in Thailand are encouraged to vote via postal vote, which can either be posted to the AEC directly,
or mailed or dropped off to the
Consulate-General.
Australians can send their postal vote addressed to:
Australian Consulate-Gen
eral – Federal Election 2022 6th Floor CCM Complex 77/77 Chalermprakiat Rama 9 Road (Bypass Road)
Muang Phuket 83000
To drop off your postal vote, please drop it off at the Consulate-General during the
following hours:
Monday – Friday 08:3016:00, excluding ConsulateGeneral public holidays.
The notice reminded visitors
that photo ID is required to enter the Consulate-General
and that all visitors are subject
to security screening.
Postal votes must be returned as quickly as possible to ensure they are received by
the AEC in time to be counted.
The Australian Electoral Commission will start sending
postal votes immediately after the declaration of nominations.
Postal votes are expected to be
sent from April 26, the notice explained.
Requests for postal votes will close on May 18. The Australian Electoral Commission recommends people apply for a postal vote as soon
as possible to ensure there is enough time for it to be posted to them and returned to the Australian Electoral Commission by June 3, 2022.
“When you go overseas you must meet requirements in order to remain on the elec
toral roll, and in some cases, to avoid a fine. Voting is mandatory for Australians. However, being overseas is a valid reason for not voting,” the notice said.
Up to date information on elections and eligibility, and copies of relevant forms (e.g. applications for postal votes, application to be registered as an overseas
elector) are available from individual electoral commission websites.
“We are unable to advise
you or comment on the eligibility of individual voters.
Eligibility is a matter for the
relevant electoral commission,” the notice explained.