A Bill for an Act to amend the law relating to elections and referendums, and for related purposes
The Parliament of Australia enacts:
1 Short title
This Act is the Commonwealth Electoral Amendment (Lowering Voting Age and Increasing Voter Participation) Act 2018.
2 Commencement
(1) Each provision of this Act specified in column 1 of the table commences, or is taken to have commenced, in accordance with column 2 of the table. Any other statement in column 2 has effect according to its terms.
| Commencement information |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
| Provisions | Commencement | Date/Details |
| 1. The whole of this Act | The day this Act receives the Royal Assent. | |
Note: This table relates only to the provisions of this Act as originally enacted. It will not be amended to deal with any later amendments of this Act.
(2) Any information in column 3 of the table is not part of this Act. Information may be inserted in this column, or information in it may be edited, in any published version of this Act.
3 Schedules
Legislation that is specified in a Schedule to this Act is amended or repealed as set out in the applicable items in the Schedule concerned, and any other item in a Schedule to this Act has effect according to its terms.
Schedule 1—Amendments
Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918
1 Subsection 4(3)
Omit “age 16”, substitute “age 14”.
2 Paragraph 55(2)(b)
Omit “18”, substitute “16”.
3 Subsection 90B(10) (subparagraph (g)(iii) of the definition of additional information)
Omit “18”, substitute “16”.
4 Paragraph 93(1)(a)
Omit “18”, substitute “16”.
5 Paragraph 93(3)(b)
Omit “18”, substitute “16”.
6 Subsection 93(4)
Omit “18”, substitute “16”.
7 Paragraphs 95(1)(c) and (f)
Omit “18”, substitute “16”.
8 Paragraphs 95(6)(a) and (b)
Omit “18”, substitute “16”.
9 Subsection 95(7)
Omit “18”, substitute “16”.
10 Paragraph 95(8)(a)
Omit “18”, substitute “16”.
11 Paragraph 95(13)(e)
Omit “18”, substitute “16”.
12 Subsection 98(1)
Omit “16”, substitute “14”.
13 Subsection 98(3)
Omit “16”, substitute “14”.
14 At the end of section 98
Add:
(6) A provisional vote cast under section 235 by a person who is entitled to enrolment, but is not currently enrolled, shall qualify as a claim to enrolment under this section.
15 Section 100 (heading)
Repeal the heading, substitute:
100 Claims for age 14 enrolment
16 Paragraph 100(1)(a)
Omit “has turned 16, but is under 18, years of age”, substitute “has turned 14, but is under 16, years of age”.
17 Paragraph 100(1)(b)
Omit “18”, substitute “16”.
18 Subsection 100(2)
Omit “18”, substitute “16”.
19 At the end of subsection 102(5)
Add:
(5A) If a claim under section 101 is made on the polling day for an election; then, despite subsection (4):
(a) the claim must be regarded as having been received before the start of the suspension period; and
(b) if the claimant’s name is entered on the Roll in accordance with the claim, the enrolment must, in relation to any vote recorded by the claimant in an election, be regarded as having been effected before the start of the suspension period.
20 Paragraph 108(a)
Omit “16”, substitute “14”.
21 Subsection 120(2) (table item 4)
Omit “16”, substitute “14”.
22 Paragraph 121(1)(c)
Omit “16”, substitute “14”.
23 Paragraph 208(2)(b)
Omit “18”, substitute “16”.
24 At the end of subsection 235(1)
Add:
; or (f) the person makes a claim for enrolment on the polling day of an election.
25 After subsection 235(3)
Insert:
(3A) A person mentioned in paragraph (1)(f) must present to the polling official:
(a) a claim for enrolment in accordance with section 101; and
(b) any of the following evidence as to the person’s identity:
(i) if the person holds a driver’s licence issued under the law of a State or Territory, or a law in force in Norfolk Island—that driver’s licence;
(ii) if the person holds an Australian passport—that Australian passport;
(iii) an attestation as to the person’s identity that is in the approved form and signed by another person who is enrolled;
(iv) any other evidence of the person’s identity that is of a kind prescribed by the regulations for the purpose of this paragraph.
26 After subsection 245(1)
Insert:
(1A) Subsection (1) does not apply to an elector who is 16 or 17 years of age on the polling day for an election.
27 At the end of subsection 245(4)(d)
Add:
; or (e) was 16 or 17 years of age on the day of the election.
28 At the end of subsection 245(15)
Add:
Note: A person who is 16 or 17 years old is exempt from committing an offence under subsection (15). See subsection (1A).
29 Section 342
Omit “16”, substitute “14”.
30 Section 343(1)
Omit “16”, substitute “14”.
Referendum (Machinery Provisions) Act 1984
31 Paragraph 22(2)(b)
Omit “18 years old”, substitute “16 years old”.
32 At the end of subsection 37(1)
Add:
; or (f) the person makes a claim for enrolment on the voting day for a referendum.
33 After subsection 37(3)
Insert:
(3A) A person mentioned in paragraph (1)(f) must present to the polling official:
(a) a claim for enrolment in accordance with section 101 of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918; and
(b) any of the following evidence as to the person’s identity:
(i) if the person holds a driver’s licence issued under the law of a State or Territory, or a law in force in Norfolk Island—that driver’s licence;
(ii) if the person holds an Australian passport—that Australian passport;
(iii) an attestation as to the person’s identity that is in the approved form and signed by another person who is enrolled;
(iv) any other evidence of the person’s identity that is of a kind prescribed by the regulations for the purpose of this paragraph.
34 After subsection 45(1)
Insert:
(1A) Subsection (1) does not apply to an elector who is 16 or 17 years of age on the voting day of a referendum.
35 At the end of subsection 45(4)(d)
Add:
; or (e) was 16 or 17 years of age on the voting day of the referendum.
36 At the end of subsection 45(14)
Add:
Note: A person who is 16 and 17 years old is exempt from committing an offence under subsection (14). See subsection (1A).