Editing Postal voting (section)

====Procedure====
Postal voting at a federal level is governed by the ''[[Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918]]'' and administered by the [[Australian Electoral Commission]] (AEC). Postal votes are available to those who will be absent from their [[Divisions of the Australian House of Representatives|electoral division]] through travel, or who those are unable to attend a polling booth due to illness, infirmity, "approaching childbirth", [[carer|caring]] responsibilities, reasonable fears for their safety, religious beliefs, imprisonment, status as a silent elector, or employment reasons.<ref>Schedule 2—Grounds of application for postal or pre‑poll vote: {{cite news|url=https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2019C00103|title=Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918|publisher=Federal Register of Legislation|date=27 May 2020|access-date=27 May 2020|archive-date=2 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210202030029/https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2019C00103|url-status=live}}</ref>

Eligible voters may make a postal vote application (PVA) prior to each election, or apply for status as a "general postal voter" and receive a postal ballot automatically. Postal voters receive their ballot(s) and a prepaid envelope containing their name and address, as well as a predetermined security question from the PVA. Voters are required to sign the envelope and provide the correct answer to the security question. They are also required to have a witness sign and date the envelope.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.aec.gov.au/About_AEC/Publications/easy-read/files/vote-mail-easy-eng.pdf|title=How to vote by mail: easy to read guide|publisher=Australian Electoral Commission|access-date=27 May 2020|archive-date=7 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200407204725/https://www.aec.gov.au/About_AEC/Publications/easy-read/files/vote-mail-easy-eng.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> As of 2016, postal votes were able to be received and entered into the count up to 13 days after election day. Following the 2016 election, it was observed that the strict scrutiny process afforded to postal votes was a "significant contributor" to delays in declaring the results of close elections.<ref name = "Muller"/>