I recommend tearing them up first, so nobody else is inadvertently ‘put at risk’ ! 
2 Likes
From a recycling point of view, it is best not to tear them up.
2 Likes
Save a little energy and just send them back unfilled or with bogus information (unsigned of course).
1 Like
Doesn’t exist where I live unfortunately - besides, if people read and believe them, recycling will be the least of our problems 
… given the performance of Australia Post … ahem
1 Like
Registering to vote finished 18 April, but postal vote applications close 18 May 2022 and the ballot itself must be executed by election day and received by the AEC by 3 June 2022. Not as easy to find on the AEC site as on
4 Likes
I suspect that putting inaccurate information on a postal vote application is illegal. Blank form fine; completed form with incorrect details bad.
1 Like
You omitted the ‘unsigned of course’ part in your quote. Tsk tsk.
1 Like
No, not the rubbish bin, the paper recycling bin! So at least the money they spent on paper, printing and postage goes to a good cause: toilet paper and egg cartons. If you must do a postal vote, send it direct to the AEC not to the political party. Better still roll up to your local primary school polling place on the day with cash in pocket to buy hot dogs, hamburgers and home made cakes for a good cause. And maybe even meet a candidate. Give democracy a go.
4 Likes
Received one from LNP with an address in Nambour QLD. Consigned to bin. Thought it was dodgy
2 Likes
Meet a candidate on polling day?
They have all departed to their function centers to set up the balloons, get the booze out, get ready for camera crosses from the TV shows, and have a party.
Want to meet a candidate?. Go to a pre-polling center.
1 Like
As outlined above, do a postal vote application online. It is not only quicker, but ensures the application is received in a timely manner.
1 Like
Welcome to the community, @Arthron
If not done it is often informative to read through earlier posts.
As noted prior for the address in Nambour, there were example photos of the details included,
It’s not self evident that the reply paid envelope is being returned to a political party before it is forwarded on to the AEC. The proper AEC returning address and options are included in a small section on the back of the form mailed out. The mail outs which are unsolicited only add to the adverse environmental footprint of the election campaign.
The general practice of candidates mailing out forms to apply for a postal vote is a long standing practice - a service to the community? They come as an extra to the candidates self promotion. The application form can be returned for free to the AEC using the address details on the back of the mail outs. Or it can be scanned at home and submitted online at the AEC website.
A blank envelope could be supplied instead, and if not required saved by the recipient for another purpose!
1 Like
The parties ability to harvest data by supposedly providing a ‘benefit’ to anyone but themselves is entrenched.
The headline is rather misleading?
The discarded postal items were not completed applications for postal votes, which some might think the story is all about.
They were the party mail outs promoting their candidates which included a form suitable for applying for a postal vote. The postie was most likely intent on saving the added workload of ‘needlessly’ stopping at every letterbox. Certainly not what any of us who have household delivered mail would consider appropriate behaviour.
Never let the full facts get between a political aspirant and self importance?
Could the nation save the environment and costs by sending a universal single mail out to each household?One containing a single brochure and plead from each candidate in the electorate, plus a QR code or phone number to the AEC to request a postal vote.
That it is. Click baiting at its norm. The article more accurately is about the parties’ bi-partisan sense of entitlement.
Yes but no because the above bi-partisan policy wouldn’t allow anything to get in the way of their campaigning (if one can call it that) and data harvesting ‘to best serve (manipulate?) their constituents’.
Some of us have clearly labelled our letterboxes with ‘no junk mail’; this stops neither these dodgy mail-outs, nor the political leaflets that are stuffed into our letterbox and go straight into recycling.
As opposed to clique baiting, where one deliberately targets an article to annoy and frustrate a particular group.
Ours came personally addressed. Our no junk mail label works most of the time and saves the Postie one more inconvenient stop. It does not stop the posted mail addressed to ‘The Resident at address xyz’, or some real estate agents and others doing a letter box drop.
Information on who lives where is conveniently available to the local MP’s office. It’s used for ‘Government business’ by the local member often to keep us all informed of what a great job they are doing. If only it was an opt in choice, we could save a few forests.
Anyone seeking assistance from their local MP will also find the need to provide contact details. ID verification?
IMO, the price of being on the electoral role and having a choice of more than one brand.
Many of the posted applications to vote have been requested for this election or past elections by Australian’s - especially those who don’t have the capacity to visit a polling booth on polling day. This is often done through the local MP office, either in person or when they visit a place where the person resides (age care facilities etc).
Once you ask for a post vote application form, you will continue to get them posted to you for future elections as a ‘service’ by the local MP.
It appears that more recently some MPs (both Labor and LNP which we have experience firsthand) have also been posting application forms to those on the electoral role rather than those on their lists (from previously posting applications for past elections).
Hmm. I do like to be ‘serviced’ by my local MP.
Possibly not known to many is that even though an election has been called for, the sitting MPs continue as elected members and use their taxpayer funded postal allowance for the good of their electorate. Their ‘duty’ is to use it to the max until the funding from the taxpayer is cut off.
This will occur when the parties officially launch their election campaign. After which the parties have to fund things like postal mailouts with their own money.
Last election the major parties had their official campaign start only one week before election day. Expect similar this time.
3 Likes
