Make Your Vote Count

The Electoral Process

What is the electoral roll?

The electoral roll is a list of all people who are registered to vote in Australian elections. Unless your name is on the electoral roll, you cannot vote in elections.

Who is entitled to enrol?

Enrolment is compulsory for all Australian citizens who are 18 years of age and over. People who are 17 years old may apply for provisional electoral enrolment so that they can vote in elections when they reach 18 years of age.

Before 1949, all British subjects had the right to enrol for Australian elections as there was no separate Australian citizenship. After 1949 when Australian citizenship was created, all citizens of the British Commonwealth were granted automatic enrolment even though they were not Australian citizens. This anomaly was amended by legislation in 1984 which required all immigrants to fulfil the requirements for naturalisation as Australian citizens before the right to enrol and to vote was granted.

How do I enrol?

You need to complete an electoral enrolment form which looks like this. Click on the image for more detail. The form must be witnessed by an eligible elector and returned to the Australian Electoral Commission. Enrolment forms are available from all post offices and the Australian Electoral Commission.

The graph shows that in 1983, nearly 9.5 million people were enrolled to vote, increasing to about 11.5 million people in 1993.



Some people qualify for special enrolment such as :

• provisional for 17 year olds if a snap election is called
• silent where people wish to keep addresses secret
• overseas where people going away for 3 years or less can register as overseas electors so that their name remains on the roll
• itinerant for people with no fixed address
• people working in Antarctica
• people in remote areas such as Norfolk Island

There are certain categories of adults who are not entitled to enrol including:

• people of unsound mind
• people under conviction for an offence punishable by imprisonment for five years or longer, and
• people who have been convicted of treason and not pardoned

These categories involve only a small minority of voters but if compulsory voting is applied by law then such special conditions are necessary.

Who keeps track of the people on the electoral roll?

'As part of maintaining a continuous and up to date Electoral Roll, the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) is required to undertake a national review of the Commonwealth Electoral Roll every 2 years called Electoral Roll Reviews(ERRs).This ensures that the roll remains as accurate as possible by:

• Adding the names of people who have recently become eligible to vote:

• By removing those people who have died or cannot be traced;

• By removing those people who no longer live at the address for which they are currently enrolled for

• By correcting the details of those who are currently enrolled.

  
  

  
  

  How is an ERR conducted?

  For the update, each federal electoral Division is divided into areas known as "Walks". Electoral Commission staff visit households, door knocking within these Walks checking elector's enrolment details to ensure that those with the right to vote are correctly enrolled.

  Electoral Roll Review Officers - are employed to carry out the check of the Electoral Roll in areas assigned to them by the Divisional Returning Officer. ERR Officers will only ask questions relevant to updating the Electoral Roll and will only answer questions regarding enrolment.

  How will I know an ERR is to take place?

  The AEC lets the public know through the media that an ERR is about to take place.

  Hours of Review - 8am to 8pm Monday to Saturday, and 10am to 6pm on Sunday.

  What questions do ERR officers ask?

  The name of each person permanently living at the residence who:

  • is 18 or over;

  • - is not a visitor;

  • - is an Australian citizen (or a British subject who was enrolled on a Commonwealth Electoral Roll on January 25,1994);

  • - is normally a permanent resident but is temporarily absent.

  • Are there any eligible 17 year olds who wish to enrol (See Fact Sheet No.3, Enrolment).

  • . The ERR Officer may also ask further questions about people who are listed as living at a particular address. This is ONLY to ensure the electoral roll is kept up to date. Any information that is collected is only used by AEC and is protected under the Privacy Act and the Electoral Act.'

    For More Information - contact your Divisional Returning Officer or your State or Territory Australian Electoral Commission Office.

    Phone numbers are in the Phone Book or see the "For more information' section of this project.

    Where can I look at an electoral roll?

    The Electoral Commission maintains electoral rolls for each State, Territory and Division and these are open to public inspection or purchase at the relevant State, Territory and Divisional offices. The electoral roll can be bought in microfiche and computer tape format from the Australian Electoral Commission. See list of telephone numbers in each state.

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    References:

    ATSIEIS Fact sheet No.13, Australian Electoral Commission, Canberra. ACT.

    1994 Electoral Pocket Book

    Fact Sheet 4, Australian Electoral Commission, May 1995.

    "Be in Full Effect" image - Commonwealth of Australia copyright reproduced by permission. Designed by Audrey, Ernabella, SA.

    

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