Early voting and its effects on elections

Speakers:

• Dr Martin Drum
• Dr Narelle Miragliotta

Chair:

• David Kerslake, Western Australian Electoral Commissioner

About the Seminar:

The dramatic increase in the number of electors casting their votes early at elections raises important questions about the implications of convenience voting for the management of the electoral process, the nature of election campaigning, and ultimately democratic engagement. In this presentation, we shared our findings from two broad ranging studies into convenience voting. Specifically, these studies explore how convenience voting is perceived from the perspective of two important stakeholder groups: voters and parties. Our findings revealed that while convenience voting generates different opportunities and challenges for stakeholders, there is broad, even if somewhat sceptical support, for its continuing availability and further expansion.