Abuse, antisocial behaviour, threats and physical intimidation is on the rise at polling places, leading to proposals to safeguard Australian elections.
Caps on signage and volunteers, a new code of conduct, volunteer registration, and bouncer-like powers for electoral staff are part of the proposed response.
A report into the 2025 federal election, won by Anthony Albanese's Labor party, has revealed a marked uptick in ugly scenes on the campaign trail and during voting.
It points the finger at growing political polarisation and the increased role of "third-parties" - groups that are not candidates or parties, but campaign alongside them to support particular parties, policies or candidates.
The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) received over 550 complaints of harassment, with an additional 59 complaints regarding "threats to harm" AEC staff. Nine of these were referred to police.
The Australian Federal Police reported a 17 per cent rise in threats against candidates during the election, 70 per cent were made on social media.
The review also found a prevalence of gender-based antisocial behaviour, calling out male volunteers who "frequently used their size to physically dominate and crowd female volunteers".
One person at a public hearing in Ipswich described the 2025 election as "absolutely mind-blowingly different to any experience that I've had" and "more like a war zone than it was a polling booth".
Jerome Laxale, a Sydney-based NSW MP and the chair of parliament's electoral matters committee, says new regulations are needed.
"There is a duty on the Commonwealth to make sure that every place of voting is inviting, safe and fit for purpose," he said.
"Submissions about the 2025 election tell us that a line had been crossed, the conventions have been deliberately broken, and that the government needs to address it."
Mr Laxale proposes a behavioural code of conduct for all candidates and campaigners, and mandatory registration to staff or volunteer at a polling place.
A limit on signs and the number of volunteers is also slated, alongside powers for AEC workers to banish poorly-behaved campaigners outside a new "campaign zone".
The coalition says it opposes 11 of the report's 14 suggestions, with the Greens also flagging concerns with the volunteer registration proposal.
Liberal Senator Ben Small proposes a more radical solution - banning all campaigning within a perimeter of polling booths.
"Rather than putting the government in charge of regulating behaviour within a yet-to-be-defined campaign zone, and the truly absurd notion of putting identifying serial numbers on volunteers," he argues in the report.
