We want you to vote – check your enrolment

The PSA wants all our members and their families to vote in the NSW elections on March 24.

We estimate that over 10 percent of PSA member records have outdated addresses. We assume that a similar number have outdated electoral enrolments.

We urge all members to check their enrolment, and then enrol or correct their enrolments as need be.

The Australian Electoral Office (AEC) manages the rolls for both federal and state elections.

You can check your enrolment, and your family, on the AEC website. (It requires exact information to get a confirmation.)

And you can print out the enrolmentment form from the site and post it to the AEC. It has to be signed by the applicant and witness, hence the need to print out. (The same form is used for enrolment & amendment.)

If you cannot get the AEC site through you work computer ask your IT people to set up the AEC site on your intranet.

The NSW rolls will close anytime between March 2 and 6.

Members are advised to fix up their enrolment well beforehand

KEY DATES

NSW Parliament expires March 2

The Governor then issues writs for the election - no later than March 6.

The electoral rolls will close at 6pm on the day the writs are issued, i.e. on March 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6.

Members are advised to check, correct or enrol well beforehand. You should avoid the last minute rush, as you could be caught out by a computer crash, slow mail, etc.

OTHER MATTERS

Encourage YOUNG people to enrol. Only 58% of 18 year olds were enrolled at the last federal election. 17 year olds can provisionally enrol before they turn 18 (but not vote until 18).

If you want a POSTAL VOTE or PRE-POLL VOTE prior to March 24 go to Voting before Election Day on the NSW Electoral Commission site for information on both and the application for postal voting. If a member expects to be OVERSEAS during the state or federal election, they have a couple of options:

• Register as an Overseas Elector. Aimed at people who are overseas for a longish period. This stops you getting knocked off the roll when overseas provided you vote. Not voting makes you liable to removal.

• Overseas Notification Form. Aimed at people temporarily overseas who are returning to their registered addresses. This leaves the voter on the roll, and it also acknowledges that the voter may not be able to vote.

The NSW Electoral Commission publishes list of overseas places where you can vote in person - it will be placed on the NSWEC website in the lead up to the election.

Members can read further info on the AEC and the NSW Electoral Commission sites at www.aec.gov.au and www.elections.nsw.gov.au/

If in doubt you should ring the AEC or NSWEC - another reason to do things asap.