Australian Electoral Commission

Acknowledgment of Country

The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) acknowledges and pays respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and their cultures, the continuing connection to their lands and waters we live and work on.

The AEC honours the wisdom of and pays respect to their Elders, past and present, and acknowledges the cultural authority of all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples across Australia.

A message from the Electoral Commissioner

I am pleased to present the Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) September 2024 – October 2026 for the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC).

We are proud of our agency’s contribution to reconciliation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and recognise the pivotal role reconciliation has in achieving Australia’s national identity. As we continue our efforts working with and for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities, we also acknowledge there is still much work to do. This year’s Innovate RAP, our fourth RAP, is a further step representing our ongoing commitment, following our previous three RAPs.

Through this RAP, the AEC aims to increase the opportunities to empower Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people through recruitment strategies – including our Temporary Election Workforce (TEW), the delivery of the Indigenous Electoral Participation Program (IEPP), and to strengthen and sustain our relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

This RAP will be led by the Deputy Electoral Commissioner as our RAP and Indigenous Champion, and by the Executive Leadership Team (ELT). The Reconciliation Action Plan Working Group (RAP WG) will be responsible to actively monitor and evaluate the RAP throughout its implementation across the agency. Both the Champion and RAP WG will be supported by our newly appointed First Nations Executive Sponsor.

I would like to thank the RAP WG, a group of dedicated colleagues from AEC, comprising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous staff from across the country, who developed this RAP.

I would also like to thank all the staff who will implement this RAP, and I commend the document to you all.

Tom Rogers
Electoral Commissioner
Australian Electoral Commission

Statement from the CEO of Reconciliation Australia

Reconciliation Australia commends the Australian Electoral Commission on the formal endorsement of its second, Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP).

Since 2006, RAPs have provided a framework for organisations to leverage their structures and diverse spheres of influence to support the national reconciliation movement.

With close to 3 million people now either working or studying in an organisation with a RAP, the program’s potential for impact is greater than ever. Australian Electoral Commission continues to be part of a strong network of more than 3,000 corporate, government, and not-for-profit organisations that have taken goodwill and transformed it into action.

The four RAP types ­­­— Reflect, Innovate, Stretch and Elevate — allow RAP partners to continuously strengthen reconciliation commitments and constantly strive to apply learnings in new ways.

An Innovate RAP is a crucial and rewarding period in an organisation’s reconciliation journey. It is a time to build the strong foundations and relationships that ensure sustainable, thoughtful, and impactful RAP outcomes into the future.

 An integral part of building these foundations is reflecting on and cataloguing the successes and challenges of previous RAPs. Learnings gained through effort and innovation are invaluable resources that Australian Electoral Commission will continuously draw upon to create RAP commitments rooted in experience and maturity.

These learnings extend to Australian Electoral Commission using the lens of reconciliation to better understand its core business, sphere of influence, and diverse community of staff and stakeholders.

The RAP program’s emphasis on relationships, respect, and opportunities gives organisations a framework from which to foster connections with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples rooted in mutual collaboration and trust.

This Innovate RAP is an opportunity for Australian Electoral Commission to strengthen these relationships, gain crucial experience, and nurture connections that will become the lifeblood of its future RAP commitments. By enabling and empowering staff to contribute to this process, Australian Electoral Commission will ensure shared and cooperative success in the long-term.

Gaining experience and reflecting on pertinent learnings will ensure the sustainability of Australian Electoral Commission’s future RAPs and reconciliation initiatives, providing meaningful impact toward Australia’s reconciliation journey.

Congratulations Australian Electoral Commission on your second Innovate RAP and I look forward to following your ongoing reconciliation journey.

Karen Mundine
Chief Executive Officer
Reconciliation Australia

Our vision for reconciliation

Our vision for reconciliation is to be a culturally inclusive and safe organisation whose services reflect the diversity and richness of the histories, languages, living cultures, and contributions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to deliver integral electoral services for Australian citizens.

In the context of our agency, this means we are committed to:

• Maximising the effectiveness and reach of our electoral services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities.
• Increasing our representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in our workforce by reaching and exceeding the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander recruitment targets set by the Commonwealth Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Workforce Strategy 2020-24.
• Having an inclusive and culturally proud workplace, where our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff feel valued and respected, and where the diverse and continuing cultures, languages, and voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff are not only respected, but elevated, understood and embedded in our decision-making processes.

Our business

The AEC is a non-corporate Commonwealth entity under the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013 (PGPA Act) and an independent statutory authority established under the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 (Electoral Act).

Our purpose is to maintain an impartial and independent electoral system for eligible voters through active electoral roll management, efficient delivery of polling services, and targeted education and public awareness programs.

In line with the Electoral Act, we do this by:

• conducting successful electoral events, including federal elections, by-elections and referendums, and industrial elections and ballots
• ensuring confidence in the Commonwealth Electoral Roll
• regulating political party registrations and financial disclosure
• supporting electoral redistributions
• undertaking public awareness activities.

We also provide a range of electoral information and education programs, both in Australia and in support of Australia’s national interests.

The AEC National Office is located in Canberra (ACT), and our state offices are located in Sydney (NSW), Melbourne (VIC), Brisbane (QLD), Perth (WA), Adelaide (SA), Hobart (TAS), and Darwin (NT). In addition, we have 150 electoral divisions across Australia.

As of June 2024, the AEC employed 904 people, with 2.2% or 20 staff who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander persons.

Our Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP)

The AEC joined Reconciliation Australia’s RAP program by implementing our first Reflect RAP in 2012. It set the foundations to work towards reconciliation by building and maintaining relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff, by providing opportunities to engage and to retain Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff, and by establishing partnerships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

Through our second (2016-18) and third (2020-21) RAPs, we strengthened and embedded strategies that support the building of relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and the provision of opportunities for our staff to deliver culturally appropriate services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander electors.

This Innovate RAP 2024-26 builds on the achievements of our three previous RAPs and outlines the practical actions the AEC will continue to take in its journey towards reconciliation – both within the AEC and the communities we serve – to promote meaningful opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Through the implementation of the AEC Innovate RAP 2024-26, our agency will:

• strengthen our relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities within which we deliver services,
• engage staff and stakeholders in reconciliation,
• develop and pilot innovative strategies,
• strengthen our reputation as an employer of choice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff,
• ensure our staff are culturally aware and equipped to communicate effectively and to work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples,
• ensure our services are effective, culturally appropriate, and accessible to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

The RAP WG will monitor the delivery of the actions delivered within this RAP, reporting to the AEC’s Executive Leadership Team via our Organisational Health, Performance and Risk Committee on its progress each quarter.

The RAP WG has comprised of nine members across the National Office and various state offices and includes a First Nations Arabana and Dieri woman:

• Director, Supply Chain Management (Chair)
• Senior Engagement Officer, Indigenous Electoral Participation Program
• Indigenous Engagement Officer, Indigenous Electoral Participation Program
• Director, Workforce Modernisation and Change
• Assistant Director, Information Management
• Assistant Director, Defending Democracy Unit
• Director, Workforce and Engagement Strategy
• Senior HR Advisor, Diversity and Inclusion
• Divisional Office Manager, Hinkler Divisional Office

The AEC will continue to update the membership of the RAP WG throughout this RAP. In developing this RAP, the RAP WG worked closely with the directors responsible for each deliverable and with the Indigenous Champion.

The Deputy Electoral Commissioner fulfils the roles of RAP and Indigenous Champion (the Indigenous Champion position is not designated as an Affirmative measure - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander role) and drives the AEC’s vision and commitment to reconciliation.

Our reconciliation journey

We are proud of the work we have been able to achieve, although we recognise that we still have a way to go. There have been many achievements and lessons learned along the way. As we implement this Innovate RAP we will continue to reflect on our activities and implement lessons to continue to help achieve our vision.

Our key learnings include:

• Success is better achieved by engaging and involving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the development of the Reconciliation Action Plan. Consultation and collaboration is critical to achieving positive outcomes, as is listening, building trust and creating a strong and positive rapport. This applies equally to how the AEC engages or partners with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples to support electoral participation.
• The need to continue to recognise that employees are often on an individual reconciliation journey. Through developing the RAP and offering varied cultural awareness learnings we have an opportunity to assist the continuation of their individual journey as well as to positively impact the agency services.

These learnings will be applied to support the successful implementation and achievement of this Reconciliation Action Plan.

The AEC actively engages with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities by providing impartial and independent electoral services. A key activity of the AEC is to increase the percentage of eligible Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voters enrolled and actively engaged in Australia’s democracy process. Following a series of activities to encourage enrolment, we have recorded six years of year-on-year growth in the estimated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander enrolment rate, increasing from 75% in 2017 to 94.1% as at 30 June 2023.

To make electoral enrolment more accessible, in February 2023, the AEC added a Medicare Card as a valid form of evidence of identity for enrolment purposes, allowing Australians who do not have a driver’s licence or passport to enrol more easily. Australia has an estimated 331,000 people who are eligible to vote but are not enrolled, and approximately 33,000 of these are Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples with limited evidence of identification. This new form of evidence of identity makes enrolment more accessible for all Australians and is one of many measures in the AEC’s continuing journey towards reconciliation through achieving and maintaining high enrolment rates.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Enrolment Advertising Campaign

In November 2022, the AEC launched an advertising and communication campaign aimed at empowering Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to have their say at electoral events. The advertising campaign ran on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ television, radio and online media in the lead up to the referendum.

The AEC plans to continue to run further advertising campaigns aimed at encouraging those missing eligible electors to enrol.

Increasing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representation in the temporary election workforce (TEW)

For the 2022 federal election and the 2023 referendum, the AEC implemented a strategy for increasing the representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as part of our temporary election workforce (TEW). The strategy included targeted communications, engaging with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander partners to promote work opportunities and direct engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in priority locations.

As a result of this strategy and efforts, the AEC welcomed an additional 415 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff as part of the 2022 federal election workforce and achieved another increase for the 2023 referendum. The table below outlines the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees that were part of our temporary election workforce in the 2019 and 2022 federal elections and the 2023 referendum.

Electoral event	No. of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander TEW	Representation – Percentage of total TEW workforce
2023 referendum	2,149	2.17%
2022 federal election	2,070	1.99%
2019 federal election	1,655	1.93%

Dedicated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander polling assistant positions in priority locations

In the lead up to the 2022 federal election and in response to community engagement discussions promoting cultural safety, the AEC created dedicated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander polling assistant positions in 518 polling places. Priority polling place locations were informed by Australian Bureau of Statistics Indigenous population data.

Of the 518 polling places identified, 277 locations attained at least one Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander polling assistant (53.47 per cent of identified locations). Across the 277 priority locations, 414 Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander polling assistants were recruited.

This approach was repeated for the 2023 referendum and will be a feature of our staffing strategy for all federal electoral events.

Acknowledgement of Country in Ngunnawal Language workshop

To celebrate NAIDOC Week 2022, the AEC offered the opportunity for staff in our National Office in Canberra to learn the Acknowledgement of Country in the Ngunnawal Language.

The workshops taught an Acknowledgement of Country in Ngunnawal language - the language of inhabitants of the ACT and surrounds. The workshop was delivered to 29 participants and included a brief history of Ngunnawal language and culture.

After the workshop, the participants were able to provide the Acknowledgement of Country in Ngunnawal Language for their online and in-person meetings, increasing the awareness of the agency’s connection to Country.

Indigenous Electoral Participation Program

The AEC’s Indigenous Electoral Participation Program (IEPP) aims to deliver effective, culturally appropriate electoral services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Through the IEPP, the AEC partners with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led organisations and other service providers to identify culturally and regionally appropriate opportunities to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples electoral participation.

The AEC collaborates and consults a range of communities and partners to co-design initiatives to be delivered within local communities. In the first half of 2023 and in the lead up to the 2023 referendum the AEC had approximately 80 partnerships with these Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations across Australia.

IEPP Case Study 1: Ngaanyatjarra Pitjantatjara Yankunytjatjara Women’s Council

The AEC partnered with the Ngaanyatjarra Pitjantatjara Yankunytjatjara (NPY) Women’s Council to promote electoral participation in the NPY region. Our partner worked with local staff who are regularly in community and trusted by the community. This allowed AEC staff to seek feedback on challenges to electoral participation and to work with the NPY Women’s Council to co-design strategies to address local challenges.

Outcomes included engaging Elders to develop in-language social media videos to promote enrolment to their community, and targeted enrolment drives resulting in an increase in enrolment across the NPY region. Over a four-week period, the NPY Women’s Council collected approximately 132 new enrolments from remote communities.

IEPP Case Study 2: Julalikari Council Aboriginal Corporation

The AEC partnered with Julalikari Council Aboriginal Corporation to promote electoral participation in the Barkly region. This partnership provided opportunities for the AEC to liaise with community Elders to discuss challenges to electoral participation. As a result of these discussions, the AEC delivered a community voter education session, which included our partner bringing community members from nine homelands into Tennant Creek for the session. The event was attended by approximately 80 people and involved a mock election where people voted on their favourite sporting team.

The AEC also co-designed resources to promote enrolment and formality in Waramungu, Alywarre, Warlmanpa languages. Our partner assisted 76 community members to enrol and had a stall on election day at the Tennant Creek polling place to provide information on how to cast a formal vote.

IEPP Case Study 3: Yarrabah – working with community to lift enrolment

Based on enrolment estimates, the community of Yarrabah was identified as a priority location for enrolment. To increase enrolment rates in Yarrabah, the AEC worked with locally engaged Aboriginal community members to conduct workshops, community engagement and education activities. In April 2022, 99 enrolments were collected. Further engagement activities around enrolment, voting formality and working at elections, continued to occur through the election period.

AEC Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP)

September 2024 – October 2026

Relationships

Building and maintaining respectful and sustainable relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples is core to the values and the way we do business at the AEC. It enables us to better understand needs and aspirations and to encourage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participation in the electoral system and democratic processes.

Focus area: The AEC recognises the importance of collaborative relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to continue to improve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander electoral participation to ensure culturally suitable service delivery.

Respect

We will strive to foster an inclusive and respectful workplace environment in which our staff acknowledge and understand Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and heritage.

Focus area: The AEC is committed to continuing to observe, learn from and respect cultural protocols and celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and histories.

Opportunities

We strive to provide employment opportunities and pathways for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to build the diversity of the AEC’s workforce: such diversity will strengthen cultural awareness and give us a better understanding of the issues faced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, allowing us to tailor better recruitment strategies and engagement measures.

Focus area: At the AEC we will aim to increase representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees at all levels through improved employee learning and development, opportunities, and experiences.

Governance

We will strive to strengthen AEC internal governance processes by overseeing, delivering, and implementing AEC RAP commitments.

Focus area: The AEC is committed to ensuring the delivery of RAP commitments through transparency, accountability and communication.

The AEC welcomes your feedback and enquiries on the AEC Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan September 2024 – October 2026, by contacting the Director of Diversity and Inclusion via e-mail at reconciliation@aec.gov.au, or by calling 13 23 26.