The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) has asked bilingual Hindi-English speakers to sign up to help deliver the next Australian federal election.
As Australia becomes ever more multicultural, it is vital that all Australians are able to cast their vote, regardless of their proficiency in English. Bilingual polling officials play a crucial role in ensuring all electors fully understand the process.
In total, 80,000 temporary workers will be needed across Australia during the next election and the AEC has identified securing more Hindi speaking polling officials as one of its key goals ahead of the election period. While the date for the next election is not yet known, the AEC is asking people to register their interest now to ensure there is a healthy pool to choose from when the time comes.
Tom Rogers, AEC Commissioner, said: “Our electorates often have very diverse cultural backgrounds. We always undertake our best efforts to find polling officials who speak languages other than English in relevant locations as they can make an important difference in helping the community to have their say. Our main goal is to make sure every Australian is able to exercise their democratic right to a vote and polling officials are instrumental in facilitating this. There will be an election at some point within the next 12 months and we’re calling on people to register their interest for election work now so they can help their local community as part of this unique event.”
All temporary election roles are paid and full training is provided. Those wishing to register their interest in working at the next election, or wanting to find out more information, should head to www.aec.gov.au.
