Commonwealth Electoral Amendment (Protecting Voters) Bill 2025

# Commonwealth Electoral Amendment (Protecting Voters) Bill 2025 ## What it does This bill stops political parties and election candidates from submitting postal vote applications on behalf of voters. It also prevents them from sending completed postal vote forms to election officials. Essentially, it removes the middleman—political organisations can no longer handle the paperwork side of postal voting for you. ## Why it matters Postal voting is a key way many Australians participate in elections, especially if they're away or unable to vote in person. By cutting out political parties and candidates from this process, the bill aims to reduce the risk of interference, manipulation, or pressure in how people cast their votes. It keeps postal voting more directly between voters and election authorities. ## Key details - **Who it affects:** Political parties, Senate candidates, and House of Representatives candidates are banned from lodging or returning postal vote applications on someone else's behalf - **The penalty:** Individuals or organisations that break these rules face fines up to 100 penalty units (currently around $13,200) - **When it kicks in:** The changes come into effect the day after the bill receives Royal Assent, so they'd apply to the next election