Australian Electoral Commission

The 2024 redistribution proposal for New South Wales has been released! Proposal: - The division of North Sydney to be abolished - Major changes to Eden-Monaro, Riverina, and Hume - Division of Cook co-named to acknowledge former Prime Minister Joseph Cook - 12.81% total elector movement Full reports & maps:

The 2024 redistribution proposal for Victoria is now live on our website. Proposal: - The division of Higgins to be abolished - Significant changes to surrounding seats of Chisholm, Hotham, Kooyong, Macnamara & Melbourne - 8.31% total elector movement https://lnkd.in/g8bJ8Wtp Full report & maps: https://lnkd.in/gv_2KNkp

The 2024 redistribution proposal for Western Australia has been released. Proposal: - A new division in the Perth Hills region - Honouring Vivian Bullwinkel - 14.57% total elector movement Full report & maps: https://lnkd.in/g5-ficCD https://lnkd.in/gsqsFKx9

Today, Australian members of the Electoral Council of Australia and New Zealand (ECANZ) announced the signing of a joint referral protocol with the eSafety Commissioner regarding the removal of harmful online material targeting election workers. This will allow all Australian electoral management bodies to refer incidents of adult cyber abuse relating to election workers to eSafety for urgent review and investigation. ‘Our partnership with eSafety is aimed at protecting our staff, who work tirelessly to deliver democracy across Australia. Election staff have a right to be safe from harm at work,’ said ECANZ chair and South Australian Electoral Commissioner, Mick Sherry. More info:  https://lnkd.in/gCrZuZVm

Last night we appeared at Senate Estimates. Discussion included our communication. "Truth at election time is often in the eye of the beholder...however, where disinformation about the electoral process is spread, we correct the record. Things that are legislatively and factually wrong. We don't stop people from saying anything, but we correct the record and use the various tools at our disposal to do that, including social media, media, including at appearances like this." - Electoral Commissioner Tom Rogers

Last week our education team visited schools in Alice Springs & Darwin for ‘Democracy Day in the NT’ – a joint initiative with our friends at the National Capital Educational Tourism Project, Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House and the Parliamentary Education Office. We ran sessions with students all about the Australian electoral system & held some intense mock elections on the kids favourite fruits. Apple was a clear favourite with Orange coming in a close second - after a full distribution of preferences of course… On top of the student learning, we also had the opportunity to run teacher professional development lessons directly with the teachers, all about civics and electoral education. It’s been great engaging with teachers & students who aren’t able to visit our National Electoral Education Centre (NEEC). Education is a key focus for the AEC. Ensuring Australians understand our electoral system is critical & something we will continue to work on.

The Electoral Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner today appeared before Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters to discuss the critical role of civics education in shaping informed and active citizens. Our detailed submission to the inquiry is now accessible on the AEC website. Civics education plays a pivotal role in fostering democratic values, promoting civic responsibility, and empowering individuals to actively participate in their communities. By understanding the electoral process, citizens can make informed decisions, engage in public discourse, and contribute to the democratic fabric of our nation. https://lnkd.in/g4sBdqJt

Yesterday, Electoral Commissioner Tom Rogers and Deputy Electoral Commissioner Jeff Pope appeared before the Senate Select Committee on Adopting AI. The Commissioner’s opening statement is available on our website https://lnkd.in/g4sBdqJt “We look forward to working with this Committee and others like it as we look at ways in which Australia can ensure the high level of trust Australians have in the electoral process can be maintained. We think that outcome can be achieved through discussions on some of the current global initiatives being applied to Australia.” – Electoral Commissioner Tom Rogers. 

Yesterday Electoral Commissioner Tom Rogers presented at the 2024 Air and Space Power Conference.   What does electoral administration have to do with the Air Force? Tom discussed the AEC’s mobilisation for a no fail mission – the requirement for precise execution in the delivery of a highly complex logistical operation. The differences between military operations and elections are obvious (e.g. pencils vs planes) but the preparation and delivery of largescale logistical activities require many similar principles and processes.   The Commissioner explained how, in this complex environment, the AEC has managed to retain high levels of public trust while delivering some of the most scrutinised events in Australia. #PublicService #AirAndSpacePower #Readiness #Resilience

First Assistant Commissioner Thomas Ryan shared insights recently on the importance of delivering operational excellence and the impact that service delivery can have on major transformation programs.