LS5881 Released Document No.13.pdf

LS5881 Released Document No. 13
Roll Divergence
JSCEM – Back Pocket Brief
Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters
Private briefing 25 November 2015
SUBJECT: DIVERGENCE OF THE ELECTORAL
ROLL
WHAT IS ROLL DIVERGENCE?
 Electoral roll divergence occurs where an elector is enrolled on
either the federal or state/territory roll and has no enrolment, or
has an enrolment at a different address, on another roll.
 Electoral roll divergence can cause considerable confusion for
affected electors with regard to their enrolment status for forthcoming
electoral events particularly where enrolments are for different
addresses for state and federal purposes.
WHAT CAUSES ROLL DIVERGENCE?
 Divergence is caused when there is a difference in the
recognition of processes (procedural divergence) or in the
qualifications for enrolment (entitlement divergence) between the
Commonwealth and a state/territory.
 The largest cause of divergence is the parallel running of direct
enrolment programs, run by the Commonwealth, NSW and Victoria.
The Commonwealth does not recognise NSW and Victorian direct
enrolment, while WA legislatively cannot recognise Commonwealth
direct enrolment.
HOW MUCH DIVERGENCE IS THERE?
 Approximately 750 000 electors have divergent enrolments due
to procedural reasons (see Table 1).
 Victoria and NSW have the highest levels of divergence, due mostly
to different state direct enrolment processes.
 WA has the next largest divergence, as WA legislation does not
recognise changes made via the Commonwealth’s direct enrolment
and update process.
 The remaining states have comparatively lower levels of divergence
which primarily relate to entitlement divergence for particular
groups.

 The number of electors who have divergent enrolments due to
entitlement is 22 548 nationally (21 421 federal only and 1 127 state
only) and these are shown in Table 2.
 The difference in the size of the Commonwealth and State/Territory
rolls is much smaller (see Table 3) because 435 229 electors have
dual enrolments (see Table 1) where they are enrolled at both
Commonwealth and state/territory level, but at different addresses.
There will also be some electors who can only vote in Federal
elections, while others will only be able to vote in state/territory
elections.

Table 1: Approximate procedural divergence as at 31 October 2015 (a)

Single enrolment
Dual enrolment (b)
Total
Federal
State
Federal
State

only
only
leading
leading
NSW
-    138 786
89
130 216   269 091
VIC
63 716
55 068
70 176
138 752  327 712
QLD
-
-
1
-
1
WA
55 402
625
95 388
290  151 705
SA
8
895
70
316
1 289
TAS
-
-
-
-
-
ACT
-
-
1
-
1
NT
1
-
-
-
1
Total
119 127
195 374
165 725
269 574  749 800

(a) Includes enrolments of 16 and 17 year olds
(b) Excludes electors who have dual enrolments at the same address

Table 2: Approximate entitlement divergence as at 31 October 2015 (a)

Single enrolment

Federal only
State only
NSW
208
112
VIC
11 180
67
QLD
147
512
WA
9 195
212
SA
157
224
TAS
52
-
ACT
482
-
NT
-
-
Total
21 421
1 127

(a) Includes enrolments of 16 and 17 year olds

As at 31 October 2015, the following numbers of persons aged 18 and
over were respectively enrolled on the Comonwealth roll and the relevant
State or Territory roll in relation to each of the States and Territories.

Table 3: Commonwealth and State rolls compared as at 31 October
2015 (a)

Difference
between
% difference -
Commonwealth
Who is  Commonwealth  Commonwealth

Roll
State Roll
larger
over State
over State
NSW
4,941,213
5,086,193  State
-144,980
-2.9%
VIC
3,868,951
3,856,904  Federal
12,047
0.3%
Qld
2,997,014
2,995,013  Federal
2,001
0.1%
WA
1,541,269
1,482,496  Federal
58,773
4.0%
SA
1,163,183
1,164,011  State
-828
-0.1%
Tas
368,423
368,371  Federal
52
0%
ACT
274,609
274,121  Federal
488
0.2%
NT
129,311
129,310  Federal
1
0%
Australia
15,283,973  15,356,419  State
-72,446
-0.5%

(a) Does not include enrolments of 16 and 17 year olds

WHAT DATA SOURCES ARE USED FOR THE DIRECT
ENROLMENT PROGRAMS?
  Table 2 outlines the data sources currently, previously and those
being considered for use by the three direct enrolment programs
in operation in Australia.

Table 2: Data sources used in direct enrolment and update processes in
Australia

AEC
NSWEC
VEC
Current
  Driver’s licence    Driver’s licence    Driver’s licence
data obtained
data obtained
data obtained
from NEVDIS
from NSW
from VicRoads
  Centrelink
Roads and
  Year 12
Maritime
students from
Services
the Victorian
  Board of
Curriculum and
Studies NSW
Assessment
Authority –
used once a
year
Previously
  NSWEC
  NSW TAFE

used
SmartRoll data    1st Home
  Victorian direct
Owners grant
enrolment data
information
Under

  Rental Bonds

consideration

Background:

The causes of divergence include:
o   differences in legislation in relation to the direct enrolment programs in
the Commonwealth and Victoria, New South Wales, and Western
Australia;
o  differences in witnessing requirements for enrolment (particularly in
Victoria);
o  differences in the age for enrolment (17 in Victoria and Western
Australia, 16 for Commonwealth and other states).
o  differing legislation for the enrolment of:
  prisoners,
  other territories (such as Norfolk Island),
  British subjects, and
  overseas electors.

Date: 17/11/2015

Cleared by (SES): Tom Rogers

Telephone No: 02 6271 4400

Group/Branch: Roll Management Branch

Contact Officer: Andrew Gately

Telephone No: 02 6271 4506