Young Queenslander enrolments increasing ahead of Federal election

More than 15,000 18-year-old Queenslanders have enrolled to vote so far this year, Attorney-General and Justice Minister Kerry Shine said.

Mr Shine said he welcomed the enrolments, which are 3000 more than for the same period last year, but urged others to make sure they enrolled before the Federal election.

“I welcome the increased enrolments, but I urge young Queenslanders to enrol and secure their say in the upcoming Federal election,” Mr Shine said.

“It is estimated that overall more than 300,000 young Australians eligible to be enrolled to vote, but they do not appear on the electoral rolls.”

“Many of those young Australians are Queenslanders.”

A report by the Queensland Parliament’s Legal, Constitutional and Administrative Review Committee found that only about half of 18-year-olds in Australia were enrolled to vote at the end of 2005-06. In Queensland, the rate was even lower.

“I am concerned about the rate of enrolment among young Queenslanders,” Mr Shine said.

In April, Mr Shine secured support for a national summit on youth voting planned for next year.

Mr Shine said he was concerned many people, particularly young Queenslanders, were unaware that Howard Government laws dramatically reduce the time they have to enrol to vote once the next Federal election is called.

“At the next Federal election, there will no longer be a full week to enrol after the writ for the election is issued. People enrolling to vote for the first time must now do so by 8pm the day the writ is issued,” he said

The Electoral Commission of Queensland can be contacted on 1300 881 665, while the Australian Electoral Commission can be contacted on 13 23 26.

19 September 2007
Media contact: Kirby Anderson 3239 6400 or 0418 197 350
kirby.anderson@ministerial.qld.gov.au