The state of convenience voting in Victoria

Speakers:

• Dr Matthew Laing
• Dr Narelle Miragliotta

About the Seminar:

The explosion in the number of electors casting their votes early at Victorian elections since the 2000s (and in Australia more generally) has raised important questions about the practical and normative implications of convenience forms of voting. In this presentation, we share our findings from our broad ranging study into convenience voting in Victoria are, conducted in conjunction with Paul Thornton-Smith from the Victorian Electoral Commission. Specifically, we explore how convenience voting is perceived and experienced from the perspective of the main stakeholders: parties, electoral officials and voters. Our findings reveal that while convenience voting generates different opportunities and challenges for stakeholders, there is broad, even if somewhat skeptical support, for its continuing use and even its further expansion.

About the Speakers:

Dr Matthew Laing is a political scientist specializing in issues of leadership and policy. He is a lecturer in political leadership with a particular background in United States politics, political leadership, and policymaking in democratic systems. His work and publications have focused on leadership in political parties and in policy processes, as well as leadership capacity building in a range of contexts, particularly policymaking. A key interest for Dr Laing is the health of western democracies – particularly the disengagement of people in the political process, the quality and diversity of people seeking political office, and the rise of populism. His views on these topics have been published/broadcast in the Australian media.

Dr Narelle Miragliotta is a senior lecturer in the Department of Politics and International Relations at Monash University. Her current research interest and publications have focused on political parties, elections, and electoral systems.