New South Wales Electoral Commission

New South Wales
Electoral Commission
Agency overview
Formed	October 2006[citation needed]
Preceding agency	State Electoral Office;
Jurisdiction	New South Wales
Employees	199 (2022–23)
Annual budget	$192.82 million (2024)
Ministers responsible	Chris Minns, Premier of New South Wales; John Graham, Special Minister of State;
Agency executive	Matthew Phillips, Acting Electoral Commissioner;
Key documents	Electoral Act 2017; Constitution Act 1902; Local Government Act 1993; Electoral Funding Act 2018; Lobbying of Government Officials Act 2011;
Website	www.elections.nsw.gov.au

Logo used until 2018

The New South Wales Electoral Commission, known as the NSWEC or the NSW Electoral Commission is a statutory 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. It also regulates the electoral environment in New South Wales, investigating possible offences and enforcing breaches of electoral, funding and disclosure, and lobbying laws

The Electoral Districts Redistribution Panel determines electoral boundaries conducting a redistribution, 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 panel is made up of the Electoral Commissioner, in conjunction with a Judge of the Supreme Court and the Surveyor-General, who review and consider advice prior to determining electoral boundaries. To help carry out its functions, legislation allows the Redistribution Panel to use the staff of the NSW Electoral Commission. Electoral boundaries are reviewed after every second election or more frequently when required under legislation.^[5]

History

Until October 2006, the Commission was known as the State Electoral Office.^[6]

The Commission was initially responsible for the administration of the Parliamentary Electorates and Elections Act 1912.^[7] The Commission's work is guided by the Electoral Act 2017, Electoral Regulation 2018, Local Government Act 1993, Local Government (General) Regulation 2021, Constitution Act 1902, Electoral Funding Act 2018, Electoral Funding Regulation 2018, Lobbying of Government Officials Act 2011, Lobbying of Government Officials (Lobbyists Code of Conduct) Regulation 2014, Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1983, City of Sydney Act 1988, Industrial Relations Act 1996, Registered Clubs Act 1976, Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998, Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009, Public Finance and Audit Act 1983, Government Sector Employment Act 2013, and the Government Sector Finance Act 2018.^[4]

In March 2022, the NSW Electoral Commission 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.^[8]

References

^ Annual report NSW Electoral Commission 2022–23 (PDF) (Report). Elizabeth Street, Sydney NSW: NSW Electoral Commission. 31 October 2023. p. 50. Archived (PDF) from the original on 22 August 2024. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
^ Appropriation Act 2024 (NSW) s 28
^ "NSW Electoral Commissioner John Schmidt retires". NSW Electoral Commission (Press release). 16 July 2024. Archived from the original on 22 August 2024. Retrieved 22 August 2024. Dr Matthew Phillips, Executive Director for Corporate division, has been appointed as Acting Electoral Commissioner for New South Wales by Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley AC KC, Governor of New South Wales. He takes up the role from Saturday, 6 April 2024.
^ ^a ^b "Our legislative framework". NSW Electoral Commission. Archived from the original on 5 August 2024. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
^ "Electoral boundaries". NSW Electoral Commission. Archived from the original on 22 August 2024. Retrieved 17 June 2013.
^ "SEO Information". State Electoral Office. Archived from the original on 10 August 2013. Retrieved 6 November 2006.
^ Parliamentary Electorates And Elections Act 1912 (NSW)
^ Knaus, Christopher (1 August 2022). "Blind advocates allege NSW's removal of online voting system is a breach of human rights". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 22 August 2024. Retrieved 31 July 2022.

This New South Wales government-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

[1] Annual report NSW Electoral Commission 2022–23 (PDF) (Report). Elizabeth Street, Sydney NSW: NSW Electoral Commission. 31 October 2023. p. 50. Archived (PDF) from the original on 22 August 2024. Retrieved 22 August 2024.

[2] Appropriation Act 2024 (NSW) s 28

[3] "NSW Electoral Commissioner John Schmidt retires". NSW Electoral Commission (Press release). 16 July 2024. Archived from the original on 22 August 2024. Retrieved 22 August 2024. Dr Matthew Phillips, Executive Director for Corporate division, has been appointed as Acting Electoral Commissioner for New South Wales by Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley AC KC, Governor of New South Wales. He takes up the role from Saturday, 6 April 2024.

[Legislation-4] "Our legislative framework". NSW Electoral Commission. Archived from the original on 5 August 2024. Retrieved 22 August 2024.

[5] "Electoral boundaries". NSW Electoral Commission. Archived from the original on 22 August 2024. Retrieved 17 June 2013.

[6] "SEO Information". State Electoral Office. Archived from the original on 10 August 2013. Retrieved 6 November 2006.

[7] Parliamentary Electorates And Elections Act 1912 (NSW)

[8] Knaus, Christopher (1 August 2022). "Blind advocates allege NSW's removal of online voting system is a breach of human rights". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 22 August 2024. Retrieved 31 July 2022.

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v t e Agencies of the New South Wales Government
Departments	Cabinet Office Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water Communities and Justice Creative Industries, Tourism, Hospitality and Sport Customer Service Education Health Planning, Housing and Infrastructure Premier's Department Primary Industries and Regional Development Transport Treasury
Executive agencies	Aboriginal Affairs NSW Art Gallery Australian Museum Create NSW Crown Solicitor Destination NSW Fire & Rescue Greater Sydney Infrastructure NSW Institute of Sport Library Council Multicultural NSW Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences Property NSW Resilience NSW Rural Fire Service NSW State Emergency Service Sydney Opera House Trust Venues NSW
State-owned corporations	Essential Energy Forestry Corporation Hunter Water Port Authority Sydney Water Transport Asset Holding Entity WaterNSW
State universities	Charles Sturt Macquarie New England New South Wales Newcastle Southern Cross Sydney UTS Western Sydney Wollongong
Other	Audit Office Crime Commission Education Standards Elections Environment Protection Health Care Complaints Independent Commission Against Corruption Judicial Commission Law Enforcement Conduct Police Force Pricing & Regulatory Tribunal Public Prosecutions Revenue NSW Technical & Further Education

v t e Government of New South Wales
Executive	Monarch Governor Lieutenant-Governor Executive Council Premier Deputy Premier Attorney General Treasurer Leader in the Legislative Council Cabinet Entities Police Local Government
Legislative	Parliament Legislative Assembly Speaker Leader MPs Electoral districts Legislative Council President MLCs Opposition Leader
Judicial	Chief Justice Solicitor General Supreme Court District Court Local Court Other courts and tribunals
Elections	2007 2011 2015 2019 2023 2027 By-elections Electoral Commission Caretaker government
Political parties	Labor Coalition Liberal National Greens Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Animal Justice Legalise Cannabis Libertarian One Nation Other parties

Authority control databases
International	VIAF
People	Trove

Agency overview

Formed	October 2006^{[citation needed]}
Preceding agency	State Electoral Office
Jurisdiction	New South Wales
Employees	199 (2022–23)^[1]
Annual budget	$192.82 million (2024)^[2]
Ministers responsible	Chris Minns, Premier of New South Wales John Graham, Special Minister of State
Agency executive	Matthew Phillips, Acting Electoral Commissioner^[3]
Key documents	Electoral Act 2017 Constitution Act 1902 Local Government Act 1993 Electoral Funding Act 2018 Lobbying of Government Officials Act 2011^[4]
Website	www.elections.nsw.gov.au

New South Wales Electoral Commission

Responsibilities

History

See also

References