ALP wants overseas booths for NSW poll

Labor says the decision to close all overseas polling stations for the NSW election is undemocratic. Source: AAP

THE decision to close all overseas polling stations for the upcoming NSW election has been labelled "undemocratic" by Labor's international branch.

BUT London-based Australian Liberals Abroad says the ALP is simply playing politics with the issue and confusing voters.

For the first time in 100 years NSW voters won't be able to cast a ballot in person at Australia House in London - or any other high commission or embassy around the world - ahead of the March 28 poll.Instead they'll need to vote by post or online.ALP Abroad president Paul Smith believes Mike Baird's Liberal government was involved in the decision by the NSW Electoral Commission."It's un-Australian and undemocratic, and not how a proud democracy like Australia that invented the secret ballot conducts elections," he said.London-based Mr Smith told AAP the more options people had the more likely they were to vote."The option of internet voting is of course a good idea but you shouldn't take away the option of people to vote in person," he said ahead of a planned protest outside Australia House on Sunday."If this was such a great idea they would be doing it in Mike Baird's electorate of Manly."Mr Smith fears older travellers will be most affected because they might not be tech-savvy enough to get online.Some 4000 NSW voters cast a ballot in person at Australia House at the last federal election.The electoral commission has explained that in the past only 15,000 people from overseas and interstate voted in NSW elections.But when internet voting was introduced for the first time at the 2011 poll that figure jumped to 40,000, the commission's Ian Brightwell told the ABC last week.Australian Liberals Abroad president Jason Groves says internet voting gives more people the chance to vote - especially those in the UK living out of London."Mr Smith is trying to play politics with this and all he'll do is confuse people," Mr Groves told AAP."A lot more people have been enfranchised by this (internet voting)."Mr Groves also criticised ALP Abroad for suggesting the NSW Electoral Commission could have been swayed by the coalition state government."This is an apolitical decision by an independent body," he said."For Paul Smith to try and politicise that is wrong."Labor campaigns especially hard for expats to vote in elections because it believes they favour the ALP over the coalition 2-1.ALP Abroad will rally outside Australia's high commission in London on Sunday demanding the polling place be opened ahead of the March 28 poll.Mr Smith remains hopeful it will be."If the premier directly intervened in this matter I'm sure it would happen."People can enrol to vote by post or online at www.votensw.info

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