Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918

A person commits an offence if the person:

is a scrutineer; and

interferes with or attempts to influence any elector within the pre‑poll voting office.

A person commits an offence if:

the person is a scrutineer; and

the person communicates with someone else in the pre‑poll voting office; and

the communication is not reasonably necessary for the discharge of the person’s functions as a scrutineer.

Subject to subsection (4), a scrutineer must not be prevented from entering or leaving a pre‑poll voting office on a day, and during the hours, declared under paragraph 200BA(1)(b).

Only one scrutineer for each candidate is entitled to be present in the pre‑poll voting office at any one time. A relieving scrutineer may, however, act during the absence of the scrutineer.

A person who is in a pre‑poll voting office in the capacity of a scrutineer must wear a badge, supplied by the Electoral Commission, that identifies the person as a scrutineer.

A scrutineer who:

commits any breach of this section; or

is guilty of misconduct; or

fails to obey the lawful directions of a pre‑poll voting officer;