How secure is postal voting in Victoria? We decided to find out
To find out, one researcher was embedded with the Victorian Electoral Commission for months.
The security of postal voting in Victoria is a topic of interest as state elections approach on November 28, 2024. One researcher, Katharina Kretschmer, conducted an internship at the Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC) from August 2024 to March 2025 to assess the integrity of the all-postal voting system. Kretschmer, under supervision, witnessed the entire process of the 2024 local government elections, from ballot receipt to final storage.
Postal voting improves accessibility for rural voters, people with disabilities, and expatriates. However, it also has vulnerabilities such as disinformation about counting and handling processes, fraudulent applications for replacement ballots, multiple voting attempts, and chain-of-custody breaches. Despite these vulnerabilities, Kretschmer's study found no breaches during the 2024 elections.
The VEC's processes include receipt and sorting of votes, removal of ballots from envelopes, counting, reconciliation, and final storage. Ballots are securely handled, accurately counted, and safeguarded, aligning with or exceeding international standards. Two potential vulnerabilities were identified: a lack of reliable way for voters to check on replacement ballots and reliance on a large and unevenly experienced casual workforce.
The VEC detected suspicious multiple returns, referred them to law enforcement, and applied for review of results, which led to the voiding of one result due to potential interference.
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