People intending to lodge postal votes have been urged by the Australian Electoral Commission to take care when filling in forms as voting material sent to the household could be a vehicle for political parties to collate their personal details.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, Liberal up-and-comer Josh Frydenberg, shadow minister Bob Baldwin and backbencher Teresa Gambaro are amoungs many MPs who ask voters to sumbit their postal votes to them.

Up to old tricks: Kevin Rudd. Credit:Getty Images

The major parties send out official-looking envelopes in the mail, containing an application form for a postal vote, a reply-paid envelope and maybe a political flyer from your local candidate. The householder fills in the required details and posts the form in its handy envelope to a rather official looking address.

Far from having just mailed one’s name, date of birth, mobile phone number, home number, email address, enrolled address, postal address, place of birth and employer details - and signed the lot for good measure - to the Australian Electoral Commission, you have just provided either the Liberal Party or the ALP with all of the above, post-paid.