Privacy

Updated: 26 July 2023

Privacy Policy Summary

The Australian Electoral Commission (the ‘AEC’) has policies in place detailing the standards, rights and obligations on how we handle and maintain personal information. We may collect, hold, use and disclose personal information to carry out our functions or activities in compliance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Privacy Act) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) found in that Act.

Collection of personal information

Personal information (including sensitive information) about you may be collected by the AEC from you, your agent, or a third party.  We collect this personal information in a variety of ways, including paper-based forms, by electronic means including online (through our website, as well as email), over the telephone and by fax.

Use and disclosure of personal information

The AEC may only use and disclose collected information, including personal information, for the primary purpose for which it was collected. The Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 (the “Electoral Act”) has additional requirements regarding the use and disclosure of personal information.

Privacy Impact Assessments

All high privacy risk projects or initiatives that involve new or changed ways of handling personal information require a written privacy impact statement. View the Information on Privacy Impact Assessments.

Access to and correction of personal information

Under the Privacy Act you have the right to ask for access to personal information that we hold about you, and ask that we correct that personal information.

You can ask for access or correction by contacting us. If you ask, we must give you access to your personal information, and take reasonable steps to correct it if we consider it is incorrect.

How to make a privacy enquiry or complaint

You can make a privacy enquiry to us in writing, over the phone, or through our online privacy enquiry form.

You can make a privacy complaint to us in writing, over the phone, or through our online complaints form by selecting ‘Privacy’ from the drop-down menu.

In writing:
The Privacy Officer
Australian Electoral Commission
Locked Bag 4007
Canberra ACT 2601
Australia.

By phone: 02 6271 4411

For more information please refer to the full AEC Privacy Policy.