Foreigners who can’t even vote in Australia have received messages from pro-gay marriage campaigners urging them to vote ‘yes’ in the postal survey.
A woman from the United Kingdom, in Australia on a working visa, was perplexed to received one of these text messages.
‘The marriage equality survey forms have arrived. Please make history and vote yes for a fairer Australia,’ the message from the Yes Equality group said.
A UK woman in Australia on a working visa has received a ‘yes’ campaign text message
An English woman on an Australian working visa received this ‘Yes’ campaign text message
The woman, who gave the message to Daily Mail Australia on condition of anonymity, is not an Australian citizen and is not on the electoral roll.
The text messages had no authorisation from Australian Marriage Equality convener Alex Greenwich, who is also a New South Wales politician, even though political content is required to have a disclaimer.
The latest revelation about the random messages comes as Australians complain about receiving political mobile phone text messages they hadn’t subscribed to, as the Australian Bureau of Statistics mails out postal ballots.
Radio personality Kate Langbroek is the latest celebrity to vote her annoyance, ahead of the November 7 deadline to return the forms.
‘Not sure how I got this. But I don’t like it,’ she tweeted to her 43,000 followers.
The KIIS Network star has joined legions of Australians to have expressed frustration at the ‘Yes’ campaign.
Australians have been left annoyed and outraged as doorknockers encouraging people to ‘Vote Yes’ descended on homes this weekend
The nationwide campaign led voters to take to social media expressing their frustration and asking them to ‘mind your own business’ (pictured)
Voters have taken to social media to express their frustration at the ‘bullying’ tactics, instead asking them to ‘mind your own business’ following the Saturday texts from Australian Marriage Equality.
Mr Greenwich defended the text message campaign and said ‘thousands of Australians’ had volunteered for the door-knock ‘because they want everyone to have the same dignity and respect.’
‘The campaign is using every resource available to make sure fairness and equality are achieved for all Australians,’ he said.
‘The campaign has a responsibility to encourage every Australian to post their survey and we have done this through door knocking, media, advertising, social media and SMS messaging.’
But many people took to Twitter and Facebook to express their anger at the weekend disturbance.
‘I cannot believe that there were people knocking on doors today… our answer to them was mind your own business,’ one person wrote.
Another added: ‘Why is there a door knock campaign for the ‘yes’ vote on the weekend? Let people make up their own mind in peace. This won’t end well.’
But many people took to Twitter and Facebook to express their anger at the weekend disturbance, stating everyone should be allowed to ‘make up their own mind in peace’
Alex Greenwich for the Equality Campaign said that ‘thousands of Australians’ had volunteered for the door-knock ‘because they want everyone to have the same dignity and respect’
However, others stated they received an ‘overwhelmingly positive response’ from the homes they visited
However, others said they received an ‘overwhelmingly positive response’ from the homes they visited.
‘Doorknocking to check people had their postal survey today was wonderful. So many people were very supportive, saying yes they’d voted and they’d voted yes,’ one campaigner wrote.
Another person added: ‘Met some lovely ‘yes’ voters while doorknocking for #marriageequality today.’
The door-to-door campaign came as thousands of people across the country were sent a message asking them to ‘vote YES for a fairer Australia’.
The move sparked outrage from people online, with many flocking to social media to express their concern about how the campaign had got their numbers.
A spokesman or Australian Marriage Equality said the messages were sent out to random computer-generated numbers.
Mobile phones across Australia received texts from the equality campaign on Saturday encouraging them to ‘Vote Yes’ in the gay marriage postal survey
The unsolicited message (pictured) was sent out to ‘randomly generated numbers’ across the country, asking people to ‘vote YES for a fairer Australia’
The messages were sent by ‘YesEquality’ and stated the survey forms had arrived and that people could ‘help make history’.
But those who received the message did not take kindly to the campaign’s effort, with Facebook and Twitter users stating they felt ‘violated’.
‘Excuse me but did anyone else get a ‘vote yes for marriage equality’ text message? How did they get my phone number? I feel violated,’ one person wrote.
Another labelled the message ‘spam,’ while many users called it an ‘invasion of privacy’.
The move sparked outrage from those online, with many flocking to social media to express their concern
Thousands of outraged people sent the message took to social media, asking how the organisation had received their numbers and calling it an ‘invasion of privacy’
‘Not sure how the voteyes.org.au got my mobile number to test me with a message to vote yes. Not sure if I’m cool with that…’ one wrote.
Another angered person added: ‘Wish the YES campaigners would back off!’
While one woman said: ‘Just received a text message from the vote yes campaign… how dare they force their opinions on me.’
‘I didn’t give them my number or my permission to contact me. More bullying from the LGBTQI community,’ she added.
Facebook and Twitter users stated they felt ‘violated’ their numbers had been used and asked whether the campaign is ‘allowed to do this’ (pictured)