Almost 2,000 missing ballots have been found at the home of a temporary Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) worker in Sydney. The ballots, which went missing on election night in the Sydney electorate of Barton, were stored in a secure container. They were collected from the Hurstville polling booth on May 3 but were never delivered to the central counting centre.
Missing Ballots Recovered After Routine Check
The missing ballots were discovered only after a routine recount in the electorate. The AEC’s tracking systems identified that one of the transport containers was not returned as expected. A spokesperson for the AEC said, “The staff member responsible erroneously returned one less container than was expected.”
The missing container was recovered from the worker’s home undamaged and unopened. The AEC has stated that all 1,866 ballots had already been counted, and the result in Barton was not affected.
Explanation from the AEC
The AEC clarified that the ballots were securely packaged in the presence of scrutineers. An authorised transport officer collected two transport containers for delivery to the central counting centre. However, one container was not delivered, which led to the confusion.
Officials noticed the discrepancy when they began a routine recount. The AEC spokesperson said, “Ballot papers were securely packaged in the presence of scrutineers, with an authorised transport officer collecting two ballot paper transport containers for delivery to a central counting centre to await further processing.”
Worker’s Home Remains the Mystery
While the AEC recovered the ballots, it has not clarified how they ended up at the worker’s home. “It was obtained from the individual’s home, where it was collected by permanent AEC staff,” the spokesperson added. The AEC has launched an investigation into the incident but has not yet referred it to law enforcement agencies.
Election Result Unaffected
Despite the missing ballots, the AEC assured the public that the result in Barton was not affected. Labor candidate Ash Ambihaipahar won the seat with more than 60% of the two-party-preferred vote, beating Liberal Party candidate Fiona Douskou.
The AEC has reassured the public that the ballots remained intact. “The uniquely coded security seals were not broken, and the AEC’s purpose-built ballot paper transport container was intact,” said the spokesperson. The AEC has taken the matter seriously and is working to prevent future incidents.
Legal Expert Weighs In
University of Sydney electoral law expert Anne Twomey described the incident as a serious matter. She stated, “Although it had no effect upon the outcome of the election in this case, it could have resulted in the election being held void in that seat if the ballots had been destroyed.”
Professor Twomey highlighted the layers of protection built into the electoral system to ensure its security. “The system ensured there was accountability, although it seems likely there was some kind of failure to identify immediately that the container had not been delivered to the counting centre.”
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A History of Election Issues
This is not the first time that ballot mishandling has occurred in Australia. In 2013, the AEC was forced to rerun Western Australia’s Senate election after 1,370 ballots went missing. A parliamentary inquiry described the incident as the “greatest failure in the history of the Australian Electoral Commission.”
Professor Twomey believes this latest incident could prompt a fresh inquiry into the transportation procedures. “The AEC will no doubt investigate this matter thoroughly and learn from the failure,” she said.
Moving Forward
The investigation into the incident is ongoing. It also reviews its procedures to prevent similar issues in the future. The commission has assured the public that the ballots were securely handled and that no tampering occurred.
The discovery of the missing ballots has raised questions about the security of Australia’s electoral processes. However, the quick action in recovering the missing container and the fact that the result was not impacted should reassure voters that the integrity of the election was maintained.
A Cautionary Tale
The AEC’s handling of the missing ballots and subsequent investigation reminds us of the importance of robust election systems. While the situation in Barton was resolved without affecting the result, it underscores the need for vigilance and transparency in every step of the electoral process.
