Arnhem Land leaders lodge voter suppression complaint against Australian Electoral Commission

Complaint to Human Rights Commission alleges the AEC discriminates against people in remote Indigenous communities by making enrolment difficult

Two Indigenous men from Arnhem Land have lodged a complaint with the Human Rights Commission, alleging the Australian Electoral Commission has suppressed votes through indirect discrimination - including strict rules about how people enrol to vote.

Matthew Ryan, the mayor of West Arnhem Regional Council, and Ross Mandi, the chairman of Yalu Aboriginal Corporation in Galiwinku, made the complaint last week alleging that the requirement for people to have a street number and postal address to be listed on the electoral role is discriminatory.