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Australian Electoral Commission
One of the most important elements of democracy is electoral integrity. Delivering a secure and trusted election increasingly requires collaboration among many groups - federal agencies, political parties and campaigners, media, social media platforms, and individual Australian voters. We all play a role.
Each election the Australian Electoral Commission implements a number of safeguards for election processes with a strong focus on electoral integrity. We also work closely with partner agencies to monitor and respond to emerging threats.
Australia is often admired internationally for high levels of participation and the variety of voting services provided. Just as critical is the integrity built into those services.
High levels of participation are the foundation for the integrity of election results. The Australian electoral roll continues to be the most complete it has been since federation, with a national enrolment rate of more than 96 per cent . The AEC’s enrolment processes not only provide for high levels of enrolment but also have a sharp focus on accuracy.
Australians are also fortunate to have a voting system with options that cater to people’s circumstances. Careful attention is paid to planning voting services to match Australia’s vast geography and diverse population.
Australia’s manual voting system has one of the most complex and time-consuming counting operations in the world. While it can at times require patience, the counting process delivers integrity to the results, concentrating on accuracy in a highly transparent manner.
Election security is incorporated into all aspects of our service delivery, with upholding the security of ballot papers a primary focus.
Some threats to election security can be more complex and often reach beyond the realm of election management, or the remit of electoral laws. They include criminal acts, terrorism, cyberattacks, foreign interference and attempts at disinformation. It is these threats that are the focus of the Electoral Integrity Assurance Taskforce that has been in place since before the 2019 federal election.
While no known widespread cybersecurity or criminal incident has impacted on the integrity of past federal election results, it is important to remain vigilant.
An Australian federal election is a major event in the nation’s calendar where people come together at voting locations across the country. The health and safety of our staff and all voters is a priority for the AEC in the conduct of this important democratic process.
COVID-19 safety measures will be in place at all voting locations as well as for other activities that support the conduct of the election. As part of the Electoral Integrity Assurance Taskforce, we also liaise with partner agencies like the Australian Federal Police to ensure readiness for the range of both minor and major potential threats the election can pose.
Our experts explain measures to safeguard the electoral process
The AEC acknowledges the Traditional Owners of country throughout Australia and recognises their continuing connection to land, waters, culture and community. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.