Voice referendum result may not be known on the night

The AEC has also launched a disinformation register as part of its efforts to combat falsehoods about the electoral process that are already circulating, as well as working with social media companies to take down mistrusts and conspiracy theories.

“If we’ve got something that we can prove is absolutely mad, tinfoil hat-wearing, bonkers conspiracy theory, quite often it’s better to put that on the disinformation register than go through the fight and having it removed and further fuelling the conspiracy theory,” Rogers said.

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One enduring conspiracy theory encountered by the AEC relates to fraud claims and electronic Dominion voting machines, which are not used in Australian elections.

Another falsehood relates to the double majority required for a successful referendum – which requires a national majority of all Australian voters and a majority in four of the six states. False claims are circulating that people living in the NT and ACT don’t get a vote, when in fact the votes of Territorians count towards the national vote, but the ACT and NT are not included in the state count.

The AEC is also responsible for distributing an official Yes/No booklet to 12.5 million Australian households at least 14 days before the vote. The booklet will spell out the arguments for the Yes and No cases comprising up to 2000 words each, with the content determined by politicians backing the respective sides, not the AEC.

Rogers said the AEC had already begun informing Yes and No campaigners of their financial reporting obligations, in line with changes to the referendum laws earlier this year that created a donations’ disclosure regime mirroring that which exists for federal elections.

However, the disclosure showing which individuals and organisations donated to the Yes and No camps will not be published by the AEC until 24 weeks after voting day.

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