AEC Says You Can Vote Twice? #voteoften. Rukshan Fernando

MIRROR: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_SAimYHo-0&list=TLPQMDMxMDIwMjNmdMqTVFADjQ&index=5

AEC Says You Can Vote Twice?
Rukshan Fernando
3 Oct 2023 #voteoften

The AEC recently replied to a post on X, stating, "If someone votes at two different polling places within their electorate and places their formal vote in the ballot box at each polling place, their vote is counted."

"We cannot remove the vote from the count because, due to the secrecy of the ballot, we have no way of knowing which ballot paper belongs to which person. However, the number of double votes received is incredibly low, and usually related to mental health or age."

This response came in reaction to a post by a Labor MP who "mistakenly" used #voteoften in a post on X encouraging people to vote Yes.

Consequently, this has sparked a considerable amount of online discussion and raised concerns about the entire electoral process. However, is this simply another instance of the AEC being ineffective and inconsistent in their communication on online platforms?

Should they even maintain a presence on social media if they cannot provide clear communication and ensure the removal of personal/political bias from their employees who are replying to posts?

For extra context on the multiple voting the AEC has also said that "The instances of multiple marks have never been of a significant volume and never more than the margin in an election. We have electronic certified lists across all pre-polls and continuing to many on-the-day polling places with real-time mark-off of the roll."