Electoral commission warns over Nats texts
Unmarked text messages from the NSW Nationals asking people to hand over their personal information to potentially skip voting lines has prompted a warning from the electoral commission.
The Nationals-authorised website ownyourvote.com.au asks people to enter their name, email, postcode and phone number to discover if they're eligible to vote online.
A link to the website was recently distributed to voters via a text message which states: "The NSW State Election is on March 23rd. You could save the hassle and register to vote online today by visiting ownyourvote.com.au"
The website is coloured blue and red and does not have any Nationals insignia or colours on it. But a message at the bottom of the page notes it's authorised by the party.
The NSW Electoral Commission on Friday issued a statement saying it was aware of text messages being distributed regarding the iVote technology linked to ownyourvote.com.au.
"The NSW Electoral Commission does not operate nor endorse the website or these text messages," it said.
"Voters should be aware that any personal information they provide on this website is not provided to the NSW Electoral Commission and is not covered by the NSW Electoral Commission's privacy policy."
The NSW Nationals have been contacted for comment. AAP has asked what the party does with the personal information it collects via the website.
