Electoral and Referendum Amendment (Enrolment Enfranchisement) Regulations 2023

Dated 16 February 2023

David Hurley

Governor‑General

By His Excellency’s Command

Don Farrell

Contents

1............ Name............................................................................................................................. 1

2............ Commencement............................................................................................................. 1

3............ Authority....................................................................................................................... 1

4............ Schedules...................................................................................................................... 1

Schedule 1—Amendments                                                                                                                          2

Electoral and Referendum Regulation 2016                                                                                    2

1  Name

                   This instrument is the Electoral and Referendum Amendment (Enrolment Enfranchisement) Regulations 2023.

2  Commencement

             (1)  Each provision of this instrument 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.

Note:          This table relates only to the provisions of this instrument as originally made. It will not be amended to deal with any later amendments of this instrument.

             (2)  Any information in column 3 of the table is not part of this instrument. Information may be inserted in this column, or information in it may be edited, in any published version of this instrument.

3  Authority

                   This instrument is made under the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918.

4  Schedules

                   Each instrument that is specified in a Schedule to this instrument is amended or repealed as set out in the applicable items in the Schedule concerned, and any other item in a Schedule to this instrument has effect according to its terms.

Schedule 1—Amendments

Electoral and Referendum Regulation 2016

1  Section 5

Insert:

medicare card has the same meaning as in Part VII of the National Health Act 1953.

medicare number has the same meaning as in Part VII of the National Health Act 1953.

2  Before section 12

Insert:

11A  Additional evidence of identity requirements

             (1)  For the purposes of paragraph 98AA(2)(d) of the Act, the following kinds of evidence of a person’s identity are prescribed:

                     (a)  the evidence number included in a notice given to the person under section 37 of the Australian Citizenship Act 2007;

                     (b)  if the person is covered by a medicare card—the person’s medicare number.

3  Section 13

Repeal the section, substitute:

13  Enrolment‑related claims or notices do not have to be signed in certain circumstances

                   For the purposes of subsection 382(7) of the Act, the requirement is that the person include on the claim or notice:

                     (a)  the person’s date of birth; and

                     (b)  one of the following:

                              (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—the number of that driver’s licence;

                             (ii)  if the person holds an Australian passport—the number of that Australian passport;

                            (iii)  the evidence number included in a notice given to the person under section 37 of the Australian Citizenship Act 2007;

                            (iv)  if the person is covered by a medicare card—the person’s medicare number.