VOTER turnout stood at 70% in Terengganu, 68% in Kedah, 67% in Penang, 65% in Selangor and 56% in Kelantan at 4pm.

When voter turnout was only 59.4% in 1922, Australia introduced compulsory voting in 1924. In the 1925 election, the turnout was 91.4%. At subsequent polls, the turnout has never been lower than 90%.

Australia is one of the few countries in the world with compulsory voting.

Guides on voting in the country inform us that the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) is responsible for maintaining the Commonwealth electoral roll and conducting federal elections, by-elections and referendums.

AEC does not conduct state elections – Australia, like Malaysia, is a federation. The state elections are conducted by the respective state electoral commission.

A federal election is held at least once every three years and polling day is always on a Saturday.

State elections are held every four years. So federal and state polls are not held simultaneously – unlike the practice in Malaysia until recently.

When and where a voter in Australia votes depends on where the voter will be on polling day.

On election day, a voter can vote at any polling station in the home state or territory. Polling centres open at 8am and close at 6pm sharp.

If a voter is in another state or territory and has not voted early, the voter will need to vote at an interstate voting centre.

A list of polling stations and interstate voting centres will be available on AEC’s official website a few weeks before election day.

If a voter cannot make it to a polling centre on election day, the voter can vote early.

Yes, there are interstate voting centres and options to vote.

There is the option to vote early either in person or by post if on election day, the voter is:

• outside the electoral division where he is enrolled to vote;

• more than 8km from a polling centre;

• travelling;

• unable to leave his workplace to vote;

• seriously ill, infirm or due to give birth shortly (or caring for someone who is);

• a patient in hospital and cannot vote at the hospital; and

• in prison serving a sentence of less than three years or otherwise detained.

Early voting centres are open in the weeks leading up to election day and their locations and opening times will be published at AEC official website.

There are mobile polling teams that visit hospitals, nursing homes, prisons and geographically remote places.

Remote mobile team members work up to 12 days before or on polling day and deliver services to voters in remote communities, where no other voting services are available.

Remote mobile polling teams service isolated communities, town camps and mining sites located further than 20km from a polling centre.

Each team usually consists of up to four staffers and may receive support from local assistants during polling.

There are remote places in Australia as there are interiors in Malaysia.

We can learn from Australia. Make voting compulsory and facilitate the process. – August 12, 2023.

* Hafiz Hassan reads The Malaysian Insight.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.