Telephone voting rules changed to allow Australians with Covid to vote in federal election

Anyone who tested positive after 6pm last Friday will be eligible to use phone service after independent candidate threatens legal action over issue

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Eligibility for telephone voting will be expanded to allow Covid-positive Australians to vote in Saturday's election.

On Thursday the Australian Electoral Commission admitted that more than 100,000 people had been caught by an anomaly that could have prevented them voting: they tested positive after the cutoff to apply for a postal ballot but too soon to qualify for telephone voting.