AGY-1156 | Electoral Office

Full description

The Parliamentary Electorates and Elections Act 1893 (55 Vic. Act No.38) introduced universal male suffrage provided they voted in the district of residence. Voters were required to produce and 'Elector's Right' which established that they were duly enrolled and "qualified in respect of Manhood and Residence in such Division" (1)

The administration of the Parliamentary Electorates and Elections Act 1893 was placed with the Colonial Secretary on 16 August 1893 (2) and three Electoral District Commissioners were also appointed on this date. (3) George Lewis was appointed as Chief Electoral Officer on 18 August 1893. (4) Electoral Registrars to administer the electoral rolls were appointed on 22 December 1893. (5) Women received the right to vote in 1902 and first voted in an election in 1904.

The Under Secretary of the Chief Secretary's Department served ex officio as the Chief Electoral Officer. As the State's population increased, there was some difficulty in keeping the electoral rolls purged and completed. From 1900 to 1928 the Police collected the necessary information annually from occupiers of premises. (6) The electoral lists were then revised in each district by a Revision Court consisting of a stipendiary or police magistrate. (7) This system was not changed when compulsory enrolment was introduced in New South Wales in 1921. Postal voting was introduced into New South Wales State elections in 1920. (8) Absent voting had been authorised in New South Wales in 1911 (9) and was used for the first time in 1913. (10)

Questions of validity of elections and the qualifications of members were subject to final decision by a nine member Parliamentary Committee of Elections and Qualifications. The Committee investigated some seventy petitions between 1858 and 1900, most of which came from candidates who claimed they had failed to become elected because the elections were conducted incompetently. The committee upheld less than a third of the objections. Its reports exposed some careless returning officers and proved or suggested the existence of some cases of personation and bribery, but no consistent malpractice. The Parliamentary Electorates and Elections (Amendment) Act, 1928 (Act No. 55 1928) conferred jurisdiction on the Supreme Court of New South Wales as a Court of Disputed Returns. (11)

The Parliamentary Electorates and Elections (Amendment) Act, 1928 (Act No. 55 1928) provided for an Electoral Commissioner for New South Wales with the responsibility of administering the Electoral Act .

FOOTNOTES
(1) 'Going to the Polls', Progress Vol. 6, No. 1, December 1966, pp.6-7.
(2) NSW Government Gazette 1893 No. 436, 16 June 1893, p.4789.
(3) Ibid. No. 437, 16 June 1893, p.4791.
(4) Blue Book 1893, Government Printer, Sydney 1893, p.58.
(5) Ibid., pp.58-59.
(6) Earliest Statute: Parliamentary Elections (Amendment) Act, 1900 (Act No.61 1900) Section 7. Parliamentary Elections (Amendment) Act, 1911 (Act No.9, 1911) Section 6. See also the Official Year Book of New South Wales 1911, New South Wales Government Printer, Sydney, 1911, p.23.
(7) Earliest Statute: Parliamentary Elections (Amendment) Act 1900 (Act No.61 1900) Section 5. Parliamentary Electorates and Elections Act, 1912 (Act No.41, 1912) Sections 29-35.
(8) Official Year Book of New South Wales 1921, New South Wales Government Printer, Sydney, 1921, p.34.
(9) Official Year Book of New South Wales 1911, New South Wales Government Printer, Sydney, 1911, p.23.
(10) Official Year Book of New South Wales 1913, New South Wales Government Printer, Sydney, 1913, p.64.
(11) Hawker G.N. The Parliament of New South Wales 1858-1965, New South Wales Government Printer, Sydney, 1971, p.58.