Part 1 — Amendments

Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918

1  Subsection 4(1) (definition of officer )

Omit “an electoral visitor,”.

2  Subsection 4(1) (definition of Special hospital )

Repeal the definition.

3  Subparagraph 184A(2)(b)(i)

Omit “a special hospital or”.

4  Paragraph 194(2)(f)

Repeal the paragraph.

5  Paragraph 194(2)(g)

Omit “station”, substitute “place”.

6  Subsection 195A(1) (paragraph (d) of the definition of officer )

Repeal the paragraph.

7  Subsection 195A(1) (definition of presiding officer )

Omit “an electoral visitor or”, substitute “a”.

8  Subsection 195A(3) (table item 4)

Repeal the item.

9  Subsection 195A(5)

Omit “an electoral visitor or”.

10  Paragraph 195A(5)(b)

Omit “whichever of subsections 225(8), 226A(7) and 227(10) is applicable”, substitute “subsection 227(10)”.

11  Paragraph 195A(5)(c)

Omit “electoral visitor or”.

12  Paragraph 202A(2)(k)

Repeal the paragraph.

13  Section 223

Omit “, 225”.

Note:       The heading to section 224 is altered by omitting “ Mobile booths—hospitals ” and substituting “ Hospitals ”.

14  Section 225

Repeal the section.

15  Subsection 226(1)

Omit “or 225”.

Note:       The heading to section 226 is altered by omitting “ sections 224 and 225 ” and substituting “ section 224 ”.

16  Subsection 226(1)

Omit “or electoral visitor, as the case may be,”.

17  Subsection 226(2)

Omit “or 225”.

18  Subsection 226(2A)

Omit “or electoral visitor”.

19  Subsection 226(2A)

Omit “or 225”.

20  Subsection 226(3)

Omit “or electoral visitor”.

21  Subsection 226(3)

Omit “or 225”.

22  Subsection 226(4)

Omit “section 224 or 225”, substitute “section 224”.

23  Subsection 226(4)

Omit “or 225(4A)”.

24  Subsection 226(5A)

Repeal the subsection.

25  Subsection 226(6)

Omit “or 225”.

26  Subsections 226(7A) to (7C)

Repeal the subsections.

27  Subsection 226(8)

Omit “or 225”.

28  Subsection 226(8)

Omit “(7A) or (7C),”.

29  Section 226A

Repeal the section.

30  Subsection 227(1) (definition of station )

Repeal the definition.

Note:       The heading to section 227 is replaced by the heading “ Mobile booths ”.

31  Subsection 227(2)

Omit “Commission”, substitute “Commissioner”.

32  Subsection 227(3)

Omit “In relation to a Division declared by the Electoral Commission, by notice published in the Gazette , to be a remote Division, the”, substitute “The”.

33  Subsection 227(4)

Omit “Commission”, substitute “Commissioner”.

34  Paragraph 227(4)(a)

Repeal the paragraph, substitute:

                     (a)  may determine in writing the places that teams will visit for the purposes of taking votes under this section in an election; and

35  Paragraph 227(4)(b)

Omit “take such steps as it thinks fit to give public notice”, substitute “give notice to the public on the Electoral Commission’s website and by any other means that the Electoral Commissioner thinks fit”.

36  After subsection 227(4)

Insert:

          (4A)  Before determining a prison under subsection (4), the Electoral Commissioner must consult the Controller-General of Prisons for the State or Territory in which the prison is located.

37  Subsection 227(6)

Omit “A team”, substitute “Subject to subsection (6A), a team”.

38  Paragraph 227(6)(a)

Omit “take such steps as he or she thinks fit to give public notice”, substitute “give notice to the public on the Electoral Commission’s website and by any other means that he or she thinks fit”.

39  At the end of paragraph 227(6)(b)

Add “for the Division in which the visit is to occur”.

40  After subsection 227(6)

Insert:

          (6A)  A visit to a prison must not be made if the Australian Electoral Officer for the State or Territory in which the prison is located is informed by the officer in charge of the prison, or a member of the staff of the prison, that the visit is forbidden by the officer in charge because of circumstances related to the security of the prison.

41  Subsection 227(8)

Omit “station” (wherever occurring), substitute “place”.

42  Paragraph 227(8)(d)

Omit “sections 224 and 225”, substitute “section 224”.

43  Subsection 227(10)

Omit “Divisional Returning Officer”, substitute “Australian Electoral Officer for the State or Territory in which that last visit occurred”.

44  Subsection 227(11)

Omit “the Divisional”, substitute “a Divisional”.

45  At the end of section 227

Add:

           (12)  A determination under paragraph (4)(a) is not a legislative instrument.

46  Subsection 228(2)

Omit “subsection 225(8), 226A(7) or 227(10)”, substitute “subsection 227(10)”.

47  Subsection 234(1A)

Omit “or 225”.

48  Subparagraph 273(2)(a)(i)

Omit “, electoral visitor”.

49  Paragraph 273(2)(ab)

Omit “electoral visitor,”.

50  Subparagraph 274(2)(a)(i)

Omit “, electoral visitor”.

51  Paragraph 274(2)(ab)

Omit “electoral visitor,”.

52  Paragraph 4 of Schedule 2

Omit “225”, substitute “227”.

53  Paragraph 6 of Schedule 2

Omit “(other than a special hospital)”.

54  Paragraph 7 of Schedule 2

Repeal the paragraph.

Referendum (Machinery Provisions) Act 1984

55  Subsection 3(1) (definition of electoral visitor )

Repeal the definition.

56  Subsection 3(1) (definition of officer )

Omit “an electoral visitor,”.

57  Subsection 3(1) (definition of special hospital )

Repeal the definition.

58  Paragraph 16A(2)(k)

Repeal the paragraph.

59  Subsection 36(1A)

Omit “or 49”.

60  Subsection 46A(2)

Omit “subsection 49(8), 49A(7) or 51(10)”, substitute “subsection 51(10)”.

61  Section 47

Omit “, 49”.

Note:       The heading to section 48 is altered by omitting “ Mobile booths—hospitals ” and substituting “ Hospitals ”.

62  Sections 49 and 49A

Repeal the sections.

63  Subsection 50(1)

Omit “or 49”.

Note:       The heading to section 50 is altered by omitting “ sections 48 and 49 ” and substituting “ section 48 ”.

64  Subsection 50(1)

Omit “or electoral visitor, as the case may be,”.

65  Subsection 50(2)

Omit “or 49”.

66  Subsection 50(2A)

Omit “or electoral visitor”.

67  Subsection 50(2A)

Omit “or 49”.

68  Subsection 50(3)

Omit “section 48 or 49”, substitute “section 48”.

69  Subsection 50(3)

Omit “or 49(4A)”.

70  Subsection 50(4)

Omit “and in relation to a special hospital within the meaning of section 49”.

71  Paragraph 50(4)(b)

Omit “or special hospital, as the case may be”.

72  Subsection 50(5)

Omit “or 49”.

73  Subsections 50(6A) to (6C)

Repeal the subsections.

74  Subsection 50(7)

Omit “or 49”.

75  Subsection 50(7)

Omit “(6A) or (6C),”.

76  Subsection 51(1) (definition of station )

Repeal the definition.

Note:       The heading to section 51 is replaced by the heading “ Mobile booths ”.

77  Subsection 51(2)

Omit “Commission”, substitute “Commissioner”.

78  Subsection 51(3)

Omit “In relation to a Division declared under subsection 227(3) of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 , the”, substitute “The”.

79  Subsection 51(4)

Omit “Commission”, substitute “Commissioner”.

80  Paragraph 51(4)(a)

Repeal the paragraph, substitute:

                     (a)  may determine in writing the places that teams will visit for the purposes of taking votes under this section at a referendum; and

81  Paragraph 51(4)(b)

Omit “take such steps as it thinks fit to give public notice”, substitute “give notice to the public on the Electoral Commission’s website and by any other means that the Electoral Commissioner thinks fit”.

82  After subsection 51(4)

Insert:

          (4A)  Before determining a prison under subsection (4), the Electoral Commissioner must consult the Controller-General of Prisons for the State or Territory in which the prison is located.

83  Subsection 51(6)

Omit “A team”, substitute “Subject to subsection (6A), a team”.

84  Paragraph 51(6)(a)

Omit “take such steps as he or she thinks fit to give public notice”, substitute “give notice to the public on the Electoral Commission’s website and by any other means that he or she thinks fit”.

85  Paragraph 51(6)(b)

Omit “appropriate Divisional Returning Officer”, substitute “Divisional Returning Officer for the Division in which the visit is to occur”.

86  After subsection 51(6)

Insert:

          (6A)  A visit to a prison must not be made if the Australian Electoral Officer for the State or Territory in which the prison is located is informed by the officer in charge of the prison, or a member of the staff of the prison, that the visit is forbidden by the officer in charge because of circumstances related to the security of the prison.

87  Subsection 51(8)

Omit “station” (wherever occurring), substitute “place”.

88  Paragraph 51(8)(d)

Omit “sections 48 and 49”, substitute “section 48”.

89  Subsection 51(10)

Omit “Divisional Returning Officer”, substitute “Australian Electoral Officer for the State or Territory in which that last visit occurred”.

90  At the end of section 51

Add:

           (12)  A determination under paragraph (4)(a) is not a legislative instrument.

91  Section 52

Omit “arrangements, declarations, appointments or determinations made under section 224, 225 or 227”, substitute “arrangements, appointments or determinations made under section 224 or 227”.

92  Section 52

Omit “, 49”.

93  Paragraph 65(2)(e)

Omit “an electoral visitor or”, substitute “a”.

94  Paragraph 65(2)(f)

Repeal the paragraph.

95  Paragraph 65(2)(g)

Omit “station”, substitute “place”.

96  Subsection 67(1) (paragraph (d) of the definition of officer )

Repeal the paragraph.

97  Subsection 67(1) (definition of presiding officer )

Omit “an electoral visitor or”, substitute “a”.

98  Subsection 67(3) (table item 4)

Repeal the item.

99  Subsection 67(5)

Omit “an electoral visitor or”.

100  Paragraph 67(5)(b)

Omit “whichever of subsections 49(8), 49A(7) and 51(10) is applicable”, substitute “subsection 51(10)”.

101  Paragraph 67(5)(c)

Omit “electoral visitor or”.

102  Subparagraph 90(1)(e)(i)

Omit “, electoral visitor”.

103  Subparagraph 90(1)(e)(iii)

Omit “, electoral visitor”.

104  Paragraph 4 of Schedule 3

Omit “49”, substitute “51”.

105  Paragraph 6 of Schedule 3

Omit “(other than a special hospital)”.

106  Paragraph 7 of Schedule 3

Repeal the paragraph.

Part 2 — Application and transitional provisions

107  Application of amendments

The amendments made by this Schedule apply in relation to elections and referendums the writs for which are issued on or after the commencement of the amendments.

108  Transitional

(1)       Despite the amendment made by item 1, the definition of officer in subsection 4(1) of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 , as in force immediately before the commencement of that item, continues to apply on and after that commencement for the purposes of section 323 of that Act.

(2)       Despite the amendment made by item 56, the definition of officer in subsection 3(1) of the Referendum (Machinery Provisions) Act 1984 , as in force immediately before the commencement of that item, continues to apply on and after that commencement for the purposes of section 116 of that Act.