Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Hansard source

It is so recorded. I will deal with the amendment from the Australian Greens to the Electoral Legislation Amendment (Counting, Scrutiny and Operational Efficiencies) Bill 2021, on sheet 1415, which was circulated after the cut-off time for amendments.

Australian Greens' circulated amendment

(1) Page 8 (after line 10), at the end of the bill, add:

Schedule 2 — Other scrutiny matters

Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918

1 Subsection 4(1)

Insert:

formal preferences report: see section 273C.

2 After section 273B

Insert:

273C Senate formal preferences report

(1) For a Senate election, the Electoral Commissioner must prepare a report (a formal preferences report) that details, for each formal ballot paper:

(a) relevant identifying information, including but not limited to:

(i) the Division; and

(ii) administrative markings on the ballot paper made under section 209B, such as a ballot paper number; and

(b) the preferences on the ballot paper.

(2) The Electoral Commissioner must publish the formal preferences report, on the Electoral Commission's website, within 30 days after the return of the writ for the election.

273D Auditing of computerised scrutiny of votes

(1) The Electoral Commission must, within 30 days after the return of the writ for a Senate election (the audited election), cause to be conducted an audit of:

(a) the scrutiny of votes at the audited election; and

(b) the use of computers under section 273A to conduct that scrutiny.

(2) The audit must:

(a) select, at random, a statistically significant number of ballot papers received by the Australian Electoral Officer at the audited election; and

(b) assess the extent to which the details of the preferences on the selected ballot papers that have been stored in a computer accurately reflect the record of preferences on the selected ballot papers.

(3) The audit must be conducted in the presence of any scrutineer appointed under subsection (4).

Scrutineers at the audit

(4) Scrutineers may be appointed by candidates from the audited election to represent them at the audit.

(5) Appointments of scrutineers shall be made by notice in writing addressed to a Returning Officer or presiding officer for the audited election, and such notice shall be signed by the candidate, and shall give the name and address of the scrutineer.

Regulations

(6) The regulations may provide for:

(a) a method for the random selection of ballot papers; and

(b) processes and requirements for retrieving ballot papers; and

(c) the appointment of scrutineers; and

(d) the rights and obligations of scrutineers; and

(e) any other matters to be included in the audit.

Is leave being sought to deal with this amendment?