Electoral Integrity Assurance Taskforce

Protecting the integrity of Australia’s electoral processes is critical to maintaining public trust in Australia's democratic processes.

In the context of the Electoral Integrity Assurance Taskforce (the Taskforce), references to electoral integrity relate to the assistance provided by Taskforce agencies that help give assurance to the Australian Electoral Commissioner that the electoral event is unaffected by interference. For the purposes of the Taskforce, interference is characterised as an action intended to affect or disrupt electoral processes. The Taskforce is not involved in the delivery of the election and does not have any role in other elements of electoral integrity such as electoral processes, policies, procedures or administrative or regulatory decisions.

Potential threats to electoral integrity can come in the form of cyber or physical security incidents, misinformation or disinformation campaigns, and through perceived or actual interference in electoral processes.

Public trust in the integrity of elections can be undermined by the realisation or perceived realisation of such threats. The Taskforce ensures that information about these threats is efficiently referred to the relevant agencies and facilitates cooperation and coordination between these agencies enabling them to work together to take any appropriate action.

Electoral laws require electoral communication to be authorised. The key objective of the authorisation requirements is to allow voters to know who is communicating about an electoral matter.

Each election the AEC runs an advertising campaign branded ‘Stop and Consider’ encouraging voters to check the source of the material they see or hear.

The Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme strengthens the integrity of our democracy and elections by providing transparency to the public about the nature, level and extent of foreign influence on Australia's government and political process.

Broadly speaking, any person is required to register if:

  • they undertake registrable activities or enter into a registrable arrangement, and
  • the activity is, or will be undertaken in Australia on behalf of a foreign principal, and
  • the activity is undertaken for the purpose of political or governmental influence, and
  • no exemptions apply.

In addition, if a person is communicating information or material to the public or a group with a view to influencing their views – for example in relation to an election – and does this on behalf of a foreign principal, then their communication must include a disclosure about the identity of the foreign principal.

During the federal election period, activities must be registered within seven days. Registrations can be viewed on the Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme Public Register.

Media releases

Updated: 29 July 2022

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