Almost 500 temporary workers needed for upcoming election

THE Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) is calling on Bellarine residents to sign up to help deliver the next federal election in the Corio electorate.

Corio covers 989 square kilometres and contains 40 polling places that will be staffed by almost 500 paid temporary electoral workers on election day.

In total, 80,000 temporary workers will be needed across Australia during the next election and the AEC has identified Bellarine as one of the key areas to bolster 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.

“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 in the Corio electorate as part of this unique event,” AEC Commissioner Tom Rogers said.

“There are 494 positions in Corio across 40 polling places that we need to fill to ensure the election runs smoothly.

“Election work is a thoroughly rewarding experience and a great opportunity to contribute to the local area.”

All temporary election roles are paid and full training is provided, and include working at early voting centres or performing a range of general election preparation tasks, or being involved with vote counting in the period following election day.

As with temporary roles on the day, there are both supervisory and team-member roles available.

Those wishing to register their interest in working at the next election, or wanting to find out more information, should head to aec.gov.au.