In another step towards restoring trust in Government, Chief Minister Michael Gunner today unveiled the Territory Labor Governments proposed amendments to the Electoral Act.
The proposed amendments to the Electoral Act include the following areas:
- returning to full preferential voting;
- improving the process in determining formality of votes;
- clarifying canvassing restrictions; and
- introducing a power for the Northern Territory Electoral Commission (NTEC) to publish a code of conduct for campaigners.
The amendments will return the Northern Territory's voting system to full preferential voting, which will create uniformity for all levels of Government, with voters required to 'number every box in order of preference', reducing voter confusion and rates of informality.
The amendments will introduce a provision to allow the NTEC to take into account the voter's intention when considering whether a ballot paper is formal or informal, in so far as the voter's intention is clear. Allowing consideration of voter intention will support the transition back to full preferential voting, by mitigating the risk of an increase in unintentional ballot informality arising from voter confusion related to the change in voting method.
The proposed amendments will:
- retain 100-metre prohibition in urban and rural areas on election day
- remove the 100-metre prohibition from remote communities by applying a limited buffer zone (10-metre prohibition on canvassing) to early voting centres and mobile voting centres to provide voters and NTEC officials with freedom of movement, particularly at the entrance to voting centres; and
- give the Electoral Commissioner discretion to prescribe alternative prohibition areas in any location (between 10 and 100 metres) to ensure specific features of voting locations can be appropriately managed.
The amendments will create new provisions under which the NTEC may create a Code of Conduct for campaigners at voting centres.
A public consultation period of 10 weeks was held earlier this year to gather feedback about electoral reform from Territory voters, electoral reform experts and advocates.
The electoral reforms are informed by the consultation feedback, the recommendations of the 2016 Territory Election Report, and Government's policy discussion paper Restoring Integrity to Government.
Quotes Attributable to Chief Minister Michael Gunner:
"The Territory Labor Government came to office on the promise of restoring trust after four years of CLP chaos and infighting.
"A good electoral system is one that works well for Territorians, is transparent and most importantly, fair for voters and candidates.
"We promised to restore trust in government and thats exactly what we are doing."
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