The astonishing election numbers Aussies don't see: 'This is a problem'

Yahoo

06-05-2025

Across 7,000 polling places, the Australian Electoral Commission used 250,000 pencils, 240,000 branded vests, 80,000 ballot boxes and 5,000 rolls of tamper-proof tape. So you might be wondering what happens to all those materials now.
As most of us were watching the vote counting unfold on television, staffers were busily emptying out schools, community halls, and churches. And it might bring you some joy to read that most of the items will either be reused or recycled.
The AEC told Yahoo News the voting booths, tamper tape, vests and pencils are stored away for reuse in future elections, and voting booths are either recycled or donated to schools and charities.
But environmental experts believe Australia could be doing better when it comes to elections. Particularly major political parties like Labor, Liberal and the Greens, who all use polypropylene corflutes and soft plastic advertising signage.
RMIT Professor of Information Sciences, Lisa Given, has published a detailed plan in The Conversation about reforming Australian elections. Speaking with Yahoo News, she noted several other countries are doing a better job at running them more sustainably.
'We're lagging behind India… Its election commission has directed parties not to use single-use plastics,' she said in relation to a 2019 direction that did away with corflutes.
The AEC has shifted away from using white-coloured ballot boxes to brown cardboard which is more easily recyclable. Given believes political parties should consider following its lead with their own advertising.
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When it comes to the materials used by the AEC, the problem isn't as simple as doing away with paper ballots and cardboard voting booths and going digital. Most people know that ChatGPT and Bitcoin use massive amounts of power, and running computers to count and tally votes would also be energy-intensive.
Given would like to see the AEC introduce an energy and waste reduction strategy for elections. But she believes the problem will only be truly combatted by pressure from average Australians who want to see change.
'I haven't seen a lot of change in the types of materials used between elections. I think government needs to bring in mandates, but that will likely only occur if the population says, hey, this is a problem, we need to tackle it,' she said.
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