Australian Federal Police are investigating numerous instances of voters casting more than one ballot in last September’s election. The Australian Electoral Commission has revealed that almost 2000 people have admitted voting more than once, and some have been referred to the AFP for investigation. And the AEC says almost 19,000 letters have been sent to other electors who had multiple marks recorded beside their names. So far, Federal Police are investigating 128 cases where Australians voted more than once at the 2013 federal election. One person is believed to have voted 15 times. Australian Electoral Commission spokesman Phil Diak says the AEC routinely scrutinises the vote count and works with the Australian Federal Police to investigate cases of multiple vost casting.
“Previous federal elections the AEC will refer egregious examples of multiple voting to the AFP of course that’s an important element of our follow up processes after a federal election.” But in a Senate estimates hearing, Liberal Senator Dean Smith demanded AEC acting head Tom Rogers give a detailed breakdown of just how many voters had more than two marks against their name.
“Let’s go to how many have three? 92. How many have four? 22. Have many have five? 4. More than five? Six marks, there’s six electors. Seven marks, one elector. Nine marks, one elector. 12 marks, one elector. 15 marks, one elector.//I Don’t know what the NSW Labor Party is like but I wouldn’t be laughing at that.” Mr Rogers says almost 19-thousand letters were sent out to those believed to have voted more than once. He says the replies are still being processed, but more than eight-thousand cases have been classified as “official error”.
Full Article: AFP investigating multiple voting | SBS News.