By Caitlin McInnis

The marriage equality survey is now under way, and lots of Australians are showing their support for equal love. If you want to stay inspired on a daily basis, there are many things you can do, including following us on Facebook and Twitter, where we’ll be making the “YES” case every day.  But first, you should make sure that you are fully briefed on voting, so below you’ll find five things that you, your family and friends absolutely must know. Happy voting!

1. If you don’t receive your form by Monday, contact the ABS

The Australian Bureau of Statistics says that all forms will be sent out by September 25. If you do not receive yours in the mail by Monday, you need to get in touch with them ASAP.

2. If you lose your form, contact the ABS by October 18

So you’ve lost your form or marked the wrong box. It happens. Don’t beat yourself up. Luckily, it’s an easy fix. Just make sure you contact the ABS by 6pm October 18 and request another form. Details of how to do this haven’t been finalised by the ABS just yet but they have said not to contact them until September 25 if you do need a replacement. Make sure you follow the YES Campaign for updates.

3. Do not post a photo of your form that includes the barcode, and don’t send glitter!

It is great that people are exercising their democratic rights and getting excited about it by taking photos of their forms or even putting things like glitter in the envelopes. HOWEVER, make sure any photos you post of your form do not include your personalised barcode on the bottom right of the form. This is really important as it may be used by someone else to commit fraud. As for glitter, refrain from that too as “due to processing machinery or possible contamination, [it] may result in the survey form also being destroyed and therefore not processed”.

4. Make sure your ballot is in the post by Oct 27

Snail mail is not what it used to be – it can take up to 4 days to reach its destination these days. Because of this, the ABS says it is best you get your form in the mail by Friday October 27. Forms must be received by the ABS by November 7, so make sure you err on the side of caution and leave enough time for it to get to them by this date. In fact, if you have your form, why not get some fresh air and post it right now!

5. If you are living overseas you can still vote!

It’s true! If you are living overseas and can’t have a form sent to you on time, you can nominate someone to receive it and fill it out on your behalf. Just head to the ABS website and nominate a ‘trusted person’ (if their website is not clear enough head here). If you’re in Australia but have family or friends living overseas, get on it and spread the word!

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