Parliamentary Electorates and Elections Amendment (Enrolment and Voting) Bill 2000

Explanatory note
This explanatory note relates to this Bill as introduced into Parliament.




Overview of Bill


The object of this Bill is to amend the Parliamentary Electorates and Elections Act 1912 to provide for the re-enrolment of all voters in New South Wales and to require voters to prove their identity both when they enrol to vote and when they cast a vote.




Outline of provisions


Clause 1 sets out the name (also called the short title) of the proposed Act.

Clause 2 provides that the proposed Act will commence on the date of assent.

Clause 3 is a formal provision that gives effect to the Schedule of amendments to the Parliamentary Electorates and Elections Act 1912.


Schedule 1 Amendments

Identification of voters
Schedule 1 [4]–[17] require a person to provide proof of his or her identity:

(a) before the person’s name is entered into the roll of electors, and
(b) each time the person votes in an election.

Any person who wishes to enrol to vote must produce an identification reference, which is a written reference provided by an acceptable referee stating that the person is known to the referee by a particular name and that the referee has seen identification documents in that name.

When an election is called each person whose name appears on the roll will be issued with a voter identification card in respect of that election only.

Any person who claims the right to vote in an election must hand over his or her voter identification card (or show some other satisfactory identification) to the returning officer or deputy in order to be allowed to vote in the name shown on the roll.

Schedule 1 [1] inserts relevant definitions.

Information shown on the roll
Schedule 1 [2] provides for a person’s date of birth to be entered on the electoral roll in addition to the other information listed about the person.

Replacement of rolls
Schedule 1 [3] requires new rolls to be prepared for every electoral district. Every person entitled to vote will be required to make a claim for re-enrolment. A person will not be enrolled to vote unless he or she produces an identification reference.

The new rolls must be prepared as soon as possible after the Bill is assented to. If an election (including a by-election) is held before that process has been completed, the roll in force on the date of the issue of the writ for the election will be the applicable roll (see proposed section 26A (4) (b), and existing section 50, of the Parliamentary Electorates and Elections Act 1912).

Note: If this Bill is not modified, these Explanatory Notes would reflect the Bill as passed in the House. If the Bill has been amended by Committee, these Explanatory Notes may not necessarily reflect the Bill as passed.

 

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