High Court upholds vote case

Updated: 12:35, Friday August 6, 2010

Up to 100,000 more Australians could be allowed to vote in the August 21 election after the High Court ruled parts of the Electoral Act were unconstitutional.

The full bench, in an majority decision on Friday, upheld a challenge to the electoral law changes made by the previous Howard government in 2006.

The court did not publish reasons for its decision, saying a majority had declared the changes invalid.

The changes stipulated that the electoral rolls close to new enrolments at 8pm the same day election writs were issued.

Voters already on the rolls would have had only three extra days to register changes.

Advocacy group GetUp!, which supported the action, said the Australian Electoral Commission estimated 100,000 people could have being prevented from registering for the election at the closing time on July 19.

The commission had indicated it would contact those people to inform them they will be able to vote on polling day, GetUp! said.