New South Wales Electoral Commission Explained

Agency Name:New South Wales
Electoral Commission
Formed:October 2006
Preceding1:State Electoral Office
Minister1 Pfo:Premier of New South Wales
Jurisdiction:New South Wales
Chief1 Name:John Schmidt
Chief1 Position:Electoral Commissioner
Keydocument1:Electoral Act 2017

The New South Wales Electoral Commission (NSWEC) is a statutory integrity agency with responsibility for the administration, organisation, and supervision of elections in New South Wales. It reports to the NSW Department of Premier and Cabinet.

Responsibilities

The NSW Electoral Commission is responsible for the administration, organisation and supervision of elections in New South Wales for state government, local government, industrial and Aboriginal organisations, as well as registered clubs and statutory bodies. It also manages the enrolment of electors and prepares electoral rolls.

The Commission determines electoral boundaries using a distribution process, which provides for an approximate equal number of electors in each electoral district with a margin of allowance of plus or minus 10% of the average enrolment. The Electoral Commissioner, in conjunction with a Judge of the Supreme Court and the Surveyor-General, reviews and considers advice prior to determining electoral boundaries. Electoral boundaries are reviewed after every second election or more frequently, when required under legislation.[1]

History

Until October 2006, the Commission was known as the State Electoral Office.[2]

The Commission was initially responsible for the administration of the Parliamentary Electorates and Elections Act 1912.[3] The Commission currently administers the Electoral Act 2017.[4]

In March 2022, the NSWEC announced that it would not use the iVote online voting system for the 2023 state election, following technical glitches during the 2021 local elections. Advocates for blind and low-vision people in Australia subsequently accused the Commission of unlawful discrimination over the removal of the accessible voting platform.[5]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 6 December 2012 . Electoral Boundaries . 17 June 2013 . About elections . NSW Electoral Commission.
  2. Web site: SEO Information . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20061230185645/http://www.seo.nsw.gov.au/seo_information . 30 December 2006 . 6 November 2006 . State Electoral Office.
  3. Web site: Parliamentary Electorates and Elections Act, 1912 . New South Wales Consolidated Acts . Australasian Legal Information Institute . 6 November 2006 .
  4. Web site: Electoral Act 2017 . New South Wales Consolidated Acts . Australasian Legal Information Institute . 1 March 2022 .
  5. News: Blind advocates allege NSW's removal of online voting system is a breach of human rights. 31 July 2022. The Guardian. 31 July 2022 . Knaus . Christopher .