General Right to Vote
Constitution:
(1988)
• Section 7 states, "The Senate shall be composed of senators for each State, directly chosen by the people of the State, voting, until the Parliament otherwise provides, as one electorate."
• Section 30 states, "Until the Parliament otherwise provides, the qualification of electors of members of the House of Representatives shall be in each State that which is prescribed by the law of the State as the qualification of electors of the more numerous House of Parliament of the State; but in the choosing of members each elector shall vote only once."

Exclusion Based on Mental Disability
Electoral Law:
(1995: Commonwealth Electoral Act)
• Section 93, subsection (8) states: "A person who (a) by reason of being of unsound mind, is incapable of understanding the nature and significance of enrolment and voting…is not entitled to have his or her name placed on or retained on any Roll or to vote at any Senate election or House of Representatives election."

Voter Assistance by Other Citizens
Electoral Law:
(1995: Commonwealth Electoral Act)
• Section 234 describes in detail, "assistance to certain voters."
Poll Worker Manuals:
Mobile Polling Procedures for Electoral Visitors: Produced by Australian Electoral Commission
• Anyone except candidate may assist p 67
• Entire chapter devoted to polling staff's treatment of electors requiring assistance. p 65-69
• Identifies those groups most likely to require assistance p 65
• Explanation of techniques for communication with hearing impaired p 65
• Explanation of techniques for communication with electors from a culturally and linguistically diverse background (CLDB) p 66
• Explanation of techniques for assisting voter in voting p 68

Off-Site Voting Alternatives
Poll Worker Manuals:
Scrutineers Manual for State Parliamentary Elections: produced by the Western Australian Electoral Commission (1992)
• Electoral Commissioner may appoint polling places in any institution or hospital and "declare any institution or hospital to be a special institution or hospital where mobile polling takes place. p 1
• When a hospital or an institution is declared a normal polling place, it has as an additional requirement that a Presiding Officer and another polling officer attend with a mobile ballot box on polling day. Additionally, "When a hospital or institution is declared a special institution or hospital, [...] then the Presiding Officer and another officer may attend with ballot boxes at any time during the 14-days up to and including polling day. p 2
• Postal Voting provision for "electors who for a variety of reasons, cannot attend a polling place on polling day." p 9
If an elector is within close proximity to a polling place but cannot enter because of physical disability, the Officer-in-Charge may take the ballot to the elector and then return the marked ballot to the ballot box. p 17

Promotes Access
Poll Worker Manuals:
Officer-in-Charge Manual: Produced by the Western Australian Electoral Commission (1992)
• Checklist for inspection of polling place before election day includes confirming adequate access for the public, including parking facilities and access for the disabled. p 5
• The polling place layout should also allow for "facilities for the disabled"

AEC Disability Action Plan:
(23 April 1999 - Consultation Draft)
• States that the following services are currently being delivered:
o Election information in audio and video as well as print formats
o Advertising of polling places with full or assisted wheelchair access, through the press and direct to disability organizations
o Review of polling places in order to maximize the number with wheelchair access
o Widespread promotion of alternative methods of voting - such as postal voting and pre-poll voting
o Inclusion of election and electoral information on internet
o Mobile polling to hospitals and nursing homes
o National telephone enquiries number
o Election posters in large print
o Delivery of 'household leaflet' to each household prior to each federal election
• Recognizes that these are continuing areas of concern:
o Wheelchair access to polling stations, due to short notice of federal elections
o Majority of information for and communication with clients is print-based and through the mail system
o Access to electoral roll information by some disabled (e.g. vision impaired)

Improving Access to Electoral Services: a Disability Action Plan
Victorian Electoral Commissison