Can you ask for a new marriage survey form if you’ve changed your mind?

A radio station in Tasmania has reported that you can request a second form for the Marriage Postal Survey if you’ve had second thoughts and would like to change your mind.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics has denied this is possible, despite initially telling the radio station that is was an option.

Listener Timbo from Penguin is Tasmania called Brian Carlton at Tasmania Talks and said that his daughter had seen a Facebook post alerting her to the option of changing your mind in the survey.

The radio station said they’d called the Australian Bureau of Statistics and confirmed that it was possible to request a new survey form if yours was lost, damaged, stolen or if you were having second thoughts.

The station said the option of changing your vote had been confirmed by the Assistant Director of the Marriage Collection Taskforce.

The news that you could change your vote made many people ask if the Australian Bureau of Statistics was changing the rules while the survey was in progress.

On social media some asked if the cost of sending out additional forms had been included in the original $120 million dollar estimate for the marriage survey, and if the YES and NO campaigns would be now be launching new campaigns encouraging people to change their answer.

Later in the day an ABS spokesperson confirmed that it was not possible to change your answer in the survey.

“You can arrange for a replacement Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey form to be sent to you if you form was lost, damaged, did not arrive or was sent to an old address. Changing your mind about your response is not a valid reason to request a replacement form in the Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey.” the spokesperson said.

Replacement surveys can be request up until Friday 25 October.  The ABS stops accepting forms on Tuesday 7 November. The results will be posted on the ABS website on Wednesday 15 November.

OIP Staff