The Voice voting rule that Aussies need to know about – as Indigenous elder is turned away from voting Yes

Australian Electoral Commission chiefs have warned voters they could be turned away from polling stations if they wear Yes or No T-shirts when they vote on Saturday.

The alarm comes after two Indigenous elders from Ipswich, near Brisbane, say they were told they could not wear ‘Yes’ shirts to the polling station.

“Without any explanation, (the AEC official) just says, ‘You’re not allowed to use this when you’re here,'” Valentine Brown said.

He said he left the polling station and was then closely followed by officials when he later returned with another head.

Rhonda Collard-Spratt said she was treated like a criminal when she tried to vote in a similar shirt.

“Because I was wearing this shirt, he said, ‘As long as you’re in space with that shirt on, you better behave,'” she said.

‘We are respected elders. We were there to do a legal duty to cast our votes and we were treated with complete disrespect.’

Indigenous elders Valentine Brown and Rhonda Collard-Spratt from Ipswich, near Brisbane, say they were told they could not wear Yes shirts to the polling station.

Australian election rules ban campaigning within six meters of a polling station entrance or inside, and election chiefs say wearing a campaign T-shirt to vote could breach the rules.

But AEC commissioner Tom Rogers admitted officials may have overreacted in Queensland, but said it was also important to avoid confrontations between voters.

“Our role is to provide a neutral place for people to vote and the Electoral Act says you can’t campaign in a polling place,” he said.

‘So if you’re turning up and you’re wearing a T-shirt or a hat or something, and you’re campaigning at the polling station, you won’t be allowed in. It’s that simple.

“But if you’re a voter, you’re just going in to vote wearing a T-shirt, and you’re in and out, that should be fine.”

He added: “The thing is, people look at it through the lens of what they want to do if they’re too proud of their ‘No’ or ‘Yes’ t-shirt that they want to wear it.

“Just remember, it’s a respectful place where everyone is supposed to be able to express a view. It’s that simple.’

Australian Electoral Commission chiefs have warned voters they could be turned away from polling stations if they wear yes or no t-shirts when they vote on Saturday.

The official guidelines state that the rules in the referendum are the same as for the elections.

“Campaigning is not allowed inside the voting center or within 6 meters of the entrance,” said a SEC spokesperson.

“If a voter wears a pin, shirt or hat with a campaign slogan at the polling station, casts their vote and leaves, then it may not be considered campaigning.

“However, when inside a polling station a problem may arise if a voter is seen talking about the material or gesturing towards it.

“The SEC’s advice is to simply avoid any potential problems by not placing campaign materials at a polling station, or at least bring clothing that allows a voter to cover up.”

But they added: ‘The AEC understands that passions are often high around referendum events and people want to proudly display their voting intentions – at any rate – when they come to vote.

‘Please don’t run afoul of the law. Simply wear or display campaign material outside the polling station.’

Valentine Brown said he left the polling place and was then closely followed by officials when he later returned with another ball

They said they expected people to be more likely to wear Yes or No branded clothes for a referendum, compared to a normal election.

The AEC said election workers – mostly 100,000 temporary workers recruited just for polling – would try to deal with the situation in one case

“Our staff will take a sensible approach to talking to voters about these issues – either to cover up or to make sure people behave appropriately when inside the polling station,” the AEC added.

“We have a temporary workforce of around 100,000 people who are everyday members of the community doing their best to facilitate a positive voting experience for Australians. Please be kind.

“While the laws around campaigning at, or near, a polling station are the same as for federal elections, the notable difference is the higher likelihood that people will want to wear campaign clothing when voting in a referendum.”