Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918

If this Division applies to a person (the elector) who has applied for a pre‑poll vote, the officer to whom the application was made (in this section called the issuing officer) shall issue to the elector:

a pre‑poll vote certificate for declaration voting; and

one ballot paper for a Senate election or one ballot paper for a House of Representatives election, or both, as the case requires.

Before issuing the ballot paper, the officer shall initial the top of the front of the paper.

The elector shall sign the pre‑poll vote certificate in the presence of the issuing officer.

The issuing officer shall then sign the pre‑poll vote certificate as witness, adding the date.

The elector shall then, in the presence of the issuing officer but so that the officer cannot see the vote, mark his or her vote on the ballot paper and return the ballot paper to the issuing officer.

The issuing officer shall immediately place the ballot paper in the envelope bearing the pre‑poll vote certificate, fasten the envelope and, until the envelope is dealt with under section 228, keep the envelope in a ballot‑box.

If the elector satisfies the officer that the elector cannot read or is so disabled as to be unable to vote without assistance, a person chosen by the elector may, according to the directions of the elector, do any of the following acts:

fill in the pre‑poll vote certificate with the required particulars;

read the certificate to the voter;

complete the certificate;

mark the elector’s vote on the ballot paper;

return the ballot paper to the officer.

Directions under subsection (7) may be given by reference to a how‑to‑vote card.

An elector to whom a pre‑poll vote certificate for declaration voting and ballot paper have been issued is not entitled:

to vote at a polling booth; or

to remove the certificate or ballot paper from the office of the officer who issued it.