The Australian Electoral Commission is responsible for conducting federal elections and referendums. It has ensured high levels of inclusiveness and participation by maximizing voting accessibility in the electoral processes it oversees. As an election approaches, Australian electors are offered a wide range of voting methods beyond traditional in-person voting at polling places, enabling them to cast their ballots either during the pre-poll period or on election day. One of these voting methods is telephone voting. There is a lack of information concerning measures that are used to protect the integrity, secrecy and confidentiality of votes cast by telephone.

This Technical Paper addresses this lack of information by providing an in-depth description of telephone voting as employed in Australia. While people in some jurisdictions may be curious to learn more about how this voting method works, others may find it useful to consider how telephone voting could help maximize inclusion and accessibility in their own elections.