The Australian Electoral Commission has put out the call for more than 100,000 new paid workers ahead of the upcoming federal election.
No date for the vote has been announced yet and most pundits reckon it will be later rather than sooner, but according to the rules it can be held any Saturday from now through to May 17, 2025.
And the AEC is already looking for an army of temporary employees to help get the vote out around the country.
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The types of jobs available include working on election day through to engagement for up to five weeks prior.
The AEC needs frontline polling staff, supervisors, mobile voting teams, remote area service teams, counting staff and more.
People will be paid according to casual rates, with remuneration varying by role.
Paid training is also provided.
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Those who have worked for the AEC in the past as temporary staff need to re-register under the commission’s new system if they want another go – but total newcomers are also welcome.
Interested parties can register their interest online.
“We become one of the nation’s largest employers ever so briefly – the likelihood of getting employed if you register with us is very high, particularly in regional communities,” Electoral Commissioner Tim Rogers said.
“You don’t need election experience to work for us, but you do need to be able to take an impartial and neutral approach to your work – that is not negotiable.”
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New South Wales will take the largest chunk of the workforce, with about 42,600 new employees – or 35 per cent of the desired sign-up – sought.
“We particularly want to hear from people living in Dubbo, Armidale, Inverell, Scone and Tamworth, which have been historically challenging to recruit workers in,” state manager Rebecca Main said.
In Queensland, about 25,000 people are sought, particularly in Goondiwindi, Lockhart River, Mt Isa, and Weipa.
There are 33,000 staff needed in Victoria, especially in the Mallee, Wimmera, Bengido, Geelong, Great South Coast, Sale, and Warragul regions.
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Tasmanian state manager Hannah Brown said as well as registration drives across Hobart and Launceston, the AEC was looking for people on Bruny Island and King Island, in the Midlands, and in Queenstown and Strahan.
South Australia is looking to drive voter registrations throughout Adelaide, regional centres, and remote areas.
“We’ll be recruiting 10,500 people in total and we particularly want to hear from people living on Kangaroo Island and in Coober Pedy, Mt Gambier and Roxby Downs,” state manager Cameron Stokes said.
“These places have been historically challenging to recruit workers in.”
In Western Australia, workers are particularly sought in Broome, Esperance, Laverton, and Wickham.
“WA is huge obviously, particularly with the electoral division of Durack which is one of the biggest electoral jurisdictions in the entire world. It means the sorts of roles on offer are diverse,” state manager Anita Ratcliffe said.
Northern Territory AEC manager Geoff Bloom said people were needed “everywhere”, but particularly Alice Springs, Jabiru, and Nhulunbuy.
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