COMMONWEALTH ELECTORAL.

No. 79 of 1953.

An Act to amend the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918-1952.

[Assented to 10th December, 1953.]

[Date of commencement, 7th January, 1954.]

BE it enacted by the Queen’s Most Excellent Majesty, the Senate, and the House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Australia, as follows:—

Short title and citation.

1.—(1.) This Act may be cited as the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1953.

(2.) The Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918-1952 is in this Act referred to as the Principal Act.

(3.) The Principal Act, as amended by this Act, may be cited as the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918-1953.

Commencement.

2. The section inserted in the Principal Act by this Act shall come into operation on the date on which this Act comes into operation.

Unenrolled members of Defence Force serving outside Australia.

3. After section thirty-nine of the Principal Act the following section is inserted in Part VI.:—

“39a.—(1.) Where a member of the Defence Force who is on service outside Australia is not an elector but—

(a) is not less than twenty-one years of age;

(b) has lived in Australia for six months continuously; and

(c) is a British subject,

the member shall, for the purposes of this Act, be deemed to be an elector and, subject to sub-sections (4.) and (5.) of the last preceding section, is entitled to vote at elections under this Act as if his name appeared on the Roll for the Subdivision in which, immediately before his departure from Australia, he ordinarily lived.

“(2.) For the purposes of the last preceding sub-section, a person, not being a member of the Defence Force, who accompanies a part of the Defence Force shall be deemed to be a member of the Defence Force and on service with that part of the Defence Force.”.