AEC Electoral integrity journey

This timeline journey shows AEC actions taken throughout the past three electoral cycles to increase electoral integrity in the Australian vote.

Staff training

  • An increased organisational focus on training
  • Introduction of programs for staff to practice procedural reforms

Ballot and premises security

  • Comprehensive ballot paper tracking and security measures introduced
  • E.g. tamper-proof packaging/containers and stricter point-to-point accountability
  • Additional premises security introduced, including ballot paper secure zones

New AEC values introduced

  • A central focus on electoral integrity ingrained into the organisation’s culture
  • Supported by the necessary values of professionalism, agility and quality
  • These values reflect the AEC’s core role of delivering the myriad intertwined activities that make up a federal election

Expanded use of electronic certified lists

Election Ready Road Map

  • A highly visible planning tool that presents the sequence of actions required to ensure the desired state of election readiness
  • Cultivation of a tangible, shared understanding of election readiness across the agency
  • More information on the Election Ready Road Map

Candidate qualification checklist

Out posted centres implemented nationally

  • Venues that facilitate increased national operational consistency
  • Better support provided to the large-scale complex logistical operation undertaken
  • Facilitation of increased security measures, including ballot secure zones

Senate scanning process

  • The dual data entry and optical character recognition process was introduced following legislative change to the Senate voting system
  • Verification measures in-built at each layer
  • Software distribution independently assured through multiple federal elections
  • More information on the senate scanning process
  • Federal government agencies providing guidance and expertise on the broad range of issues within the Australian electoral environment
  • Focus on electoral process disinformation, physical security and cyber security
  • See Electoral Integrity Assurance Taskforce.

Social media relationships strengthened

  • Mutual understanding of electoral laws and platform policies achieved
  • Referral processes affirmed
  • Scenario planning undertaken

Transparency Register introduced

  • A new, improved tool for the publication of financial disclosure returns
  • The Transparency Register provides increased navigation and download abilities to users

Centralised supply chain management

  • Further professionalisation and national consistency of the AEC’s logistics capability
  • Improving the cost, efficiency and integrity of the distribution and return of materials

Budget allocation: AEC modernisation

  • $96.7m received following extensive business case process
  • The start of a journey to replace dated election management systems and further modernise election processes and oversight

Reputation Management Framework

  • An increased concentration on information integrity with regard to the delivery of the federal election process
  • Protecting the AEC’s reputation against disinformation to safeguard positive perceptions of electoral integrity
  • Electoral Integrity: Reputation Management Strategy

AEC command centre

  • Construction of a central facility providing greater operational oversight and direction
  • Better controlling the flow of information in and out of the AEC’s national office

Stop and Consider campaign

  • Social media advertising encouraging voters to “check the source”
  • Created in recognition of evolving and increasingly divisive electoral communication environment
  • Supported by website content and the distribution of translated material

Record enrolment

  • The highest enrolment rate since federation achieved largely through direct enrolment
  • Setting a platform for high electoral participation and democratic health
  • Enrolment statistics

Organisation Transformation Division established

  • A new Division of the AEC focussed on transforming AEC systems, processes and infrastructure
  • A critical forward-facing initiative to protect AEC deliverables moving towards 2030 and beyond

Queuing processes reformed

  • Research undertaken into queuing habits / methodology
  • Development of computer generated modelling tools
  • Capable of more accurate voting centre attendance predictions
  • Mini-queues and other polling place flow measures established

Direct enrolment introduced

  • An initiative whereby the AEC applies trusted third-party information to enrol eligible Australians without them completing an enrolment application
  • This program is, in large part, responsible for the achievement of one of the highest estimated enrolment completion rates in the world
  • Further information

Online enrolment introduced

  • A shift from paper-only enrolment applications to the vast majority of enrolment transactions being completed online
  • A mobile-responsive enrolment form that aides the completion of the roll while maintaining required enrolment identification
  • See the online enrolment form

Integrity Branch

  • A new branch focussed on the central issue of integrity in the election process
  • Includes coordination of matters relating to cyber security, election disinformation, the cross-agency electoral integrity taskforce and more.

Working Arrangements

Enrolling to vote made easier

  • Medicare cards and Australian citizenship certificates become valid forms of evidence of identity for enrolment purposes
  • Part of a drive to create an easier process for underrepresented cohorts and new Australian citizens to join the roll

Direct enrolment expanded

  • Expansion of the Federal Direct Enrolment and Update (FDEU) program
  • Community mailbags and email established as new methods of notification for people without mail delivery to their residence
  • Trials were conducted in communities across Western Australia, Queensland and the Northern Territory

AEC Reputation Management System

  • Public trust in the AEC is intrinsically linked to trust in the integrity of Australian electoral processes and results
  • The Reputation Management System recognises the role of the AEC, electoral integrity, and operational excellence in maintaining trust in our democracy
  • The AEC Reputation Management System

Largest enrolment in history

  • 97.7% of eligible Australians enrolled to vote, the highest it has ever been
  • Youth and First Nations enrolment rate also increased to above 90% for the first time ever
  • Enrolment statistics

The Canberra Series on Electoral Integrity

  • A key AEC initiative bringing together electoral practitioners internationally to discuss shared challenges and best practices on upholding electoral integrity
  • The first iteration of the Canberra Series (2023 – 2024) began with three virtual seminars, with practitioners discussing key topics on the themes of Operations, Information and Security
  • The seminars culminated with an in-person conference in Canberra (2024), where electoral practitioners were joined by experts in fields including artificial intelligence, media literacy, and the information environment.

Federal Direct Enrolment and Update

Introduced

Online enrolment

Introduced

2013

Federal Election

Ballot paper principles

Introduced

Ballot & premises security

New procedures introduced

Staff training

Upgraded

2014 By-Election

Griffith

2014

WA Senate Election

AEC values introduced

'Out posted centres'

Implemented nationally

2015 By-Elections

Canning

North Sydney

A new AEC planning framework

Election ready roadmap introduced

Electronic Certified Lists

Roll-out expanded

Senate scanning

Introduced

2016

Federal Election

2017 Marriage Law Survey

2017 By-Elections

New England

Bennelong

Electoral Integrity Assurance Taskforce

Established

Candidate eligibility

Qualification checklist introduced

2018 By-Elections

Batman

Perth

Mayo

Fremantle

Longman

Braddon

Wentworth

Social media

Platform relationships strengthened

Logistics

Centralised supply chain introduced

Disinformation

AEC communication campaign created

Transparency Register

Introduced

Queuing

Processes reformed, wait times reduced

2019

Federal Election

Enrolment

Record 97% achieved (through direct enrolment & campaigns)

AEC modernisation

Budget allocation received

2020 By-Elections

Eden-Monaro

Groom

Transformation Division

Established

Reputation Management

Framework established

AEC command centre

Construction and operational planning begins

Electoral Integrity and
Communications Branch formed

Working Arrangements
between AEC and online platforms

2022

Federal Election

2023 By-Elections

Aston

Fadden

Enrolling to vote made easier

Direct enrolment expanded

2023

Voice to Parliament referendum

AEC Reputation Management System

Largest enrolment in history

The Canberra Series on Electoral Integrity

The integrity journey continues

The above milestones represent a small number of results from what is a daily concentration on embedding electoral integrity into processes the Australian Electoral Commission delivers. We are continually driving positive change to secure Australia’s federal system of election delivery towards 2030 and beyond.