Australian Electoral Commission Accused of Alleged Ballot Misinformation in the Federal Election

A polling officer hands over a ballot paper to a resident at the Australian general elections in Cook electorate of Sydney on May 21, 2022. Saeed Khan/AFP via Getty Images

Independent senate candidates in two states have alleged that the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) staff gave voters incorrect information on how to vote on the senate ballot paper during Australia’s recent federal election.

The independents alleged that AEC staff told voters not to number unnamed boxes above the line, even though those boxes represented independent candidates, which has cost them a significant percentage of votes.