Western Australian Consolidated Acts

ELECTORAL ACT 1907 - NOTES

Notes

¹ This is a compilation of the Electoral Act 1907 and includes the amendments made by the other written laws referred to in the following table ^{1a, 6}. The table also contains information about any reprint.

Compilation table

Short title	Number and year	Assent	Commencement
Electoral Act 1907	27 of 1907 (7 Edw. VII No. 27)	20 Dec 1907	1 Mar 1908 (see s. 2)
Electoral Act Amendment Act 1911	44 of 1911 (1 Geo. V No. 55)	16 Feb 1911	1 May 1911 (see s. 1)
Electoral Act Amendment Act 1912	56 of 1912 (3 Geo. V No. 37)	30 Dec 1912	30 Dec 1912
Electoral Act Amendment Act 1918	5 of 1918 (8 Geo. V No. 19) (as amended by No. 59 of 1919 s. 6)	18 Mar 1918	18 Mar 1918
Electoral Amendment Act 1919	59 of 1919 (10 Geo. V No. 47)	17 Dec 1919	17 Dec 1919
Electoral Act Amendment Act 1921	7 of 1921 (12 Geo. V No. 7)	26 Oct 1921	26 Oct 1921
Reprint of the Electoral Act 1907 in Appendix Session Volume 1928 (includes amendments listed above)
Electoral Act Amendment Act 1931	38 of 1931 (22 Geo. V No. 38)	3 Dec 1931	3 Dec 1931
Electoral Act Amendment Act 1934	39 of 1934 (25 Geo. V No. 38)	4 Jan 1935	4 Jan 1935
Electoral Act Amendment Act 1936	10 of 1936 (1 Edw. VIII No. 10)	3 Dec 1936	3 Dec 1936
Electoral Act Amendment Act 1940	18 of 1940 (4 Geo. VI No. 18)	29 Nov 1940	29 Nov 1940
Electoral Act Amendment Act (No. 3) 1940	47 of 1940 (4 & 5 Geo. VI No. 47)	30 Dec 1940	30 Dec 1940
Reprint of the Electoral Act 1907 in Volume 2 of Reprinted Acts 6(includes amendments listed above)
Electoral Act Amendment Act 1948	63 of 1948 (12 & 13 Geo. VI No. 63)	21 Jan 1949	27 May 1949 (see s. 1 and Gazette 27 May 1949 p. 1133)
Reprint of the Electoral Act 1907 approved 21 Oct 1949 (not in a Volume) (includes amendments listed above and in the Electoral Act Amendment Act 1949)
Electoral Act Amendment Act 1949	26 of 1949 (13 Geo. VI No. 112)	22 Oct 1949	22 Oct 1949
Electoral Act Amendment Act 1951	58 of 1951 (15 & 16 Geo. VI No. 58)	7 Jan 1952	7 Jan 1952
Electoral Act Amendment Act 1952	57 of 1952 (1 Eliz. II No. 57)	23 Dec 1952	23 Dec 1952
Electoral Act Amendment Act (No. 2) 1953	34 of 1953 (2 Eliz. II No. 34)	18 Dec 1953	18 Dec 1953
Reprint of the Electoral Act 1907 approved 19 Mar 1956 in Volume 9 of Reprinted Acts (includes amendments listed above)
Electoral Act Amendment Act (No. 2) 1957	53 of 1957 (6 Eliz. II No. 53)	6 Dec 1957	14 Feb 1958 (see s. 2 and Gazette 14 Feb 1958 p. 244)
Electoral Act Amendment Act (No. 3) 1959	59 of 1959 (8 Eliz. II No. 59)	3 Dec 1959	15 Jan 1960 (see s. 2 and Gazette 15 Jan 1960 p. 35)
Reprint of the Electoral Act 1907 approved 26 Feb 1962 (not in a Volume) (includes amendments listed above)
Electoral Act Amendment Act 1962	51 of 1962 (11 Eliz. II No. 51)	20 Nov 1962	20 Nov 1962
Electoral Act Amendment Act 1964	33 of 1964 (13 Eliz. II No. 33)	3 Nov 1964	31 Dec 1964 (see s. 2 and Gazette 24 Dec 1964 p. 4094)
Electoral Act Amendment Act (No. 3) 1964	68 of 1964 (13 Eliz. II No. 68)	4 Dec 1964	31 Dec 1964 (see s. 2 and Gazette 24 Dec 1964 p. 4094)
Reprint of the Electoral Act 1907 approved 9 Feb 1965 in Volume 19 of Reprinted Acts (includes amendments listed above)
Decimal Currency Act 1965	113 of 1965	21 Dec 1965	Act other than s. 4-9: 21 Dec 1965 (see s. 2(1)); s. 4-9: 14 Feb 1966 (see s. 2(2))
Electoral Act Amendment Act 1967	33 of 1967	17 Nov 1967	24 Nov 1967 (see s. 2 and Gazette 24 Nov 1967 p. 3195)
Electoral Act Amendment Act 1970	28 of 1970	20 May 1970	1 Nov 1970 (see s. 2 and Gazette 30 Oct 1970 p. 3343)
Electoral Act Amendment Act (No. 2) 1970	94 of 1970	30 Nov 1970	5 Dec 1970 (see s. 2 and Gazette 4 Dec 1970 p. 3705)
Reprint of the Electoral Act 1907 approved 12 Jan 1971 (not in a Volume) (includes amendments listed above)
Metric Conversion Act 1972	94 of 1972	4 Dec 1972	Relevant amendments (see First Sch. 7) took effect on 1 Jan 1974 (see s. 4(2) and Gazette 7 Dec 1973 p. 4490)
Electoral Act Amendment Act (No. 2) 1973	70 of 1973	6 Dec 1973	1 Jan 1974 (see s. 2 and Gazette 28 Dec 1973 p. 4725)
Electoral Act Amendment Act (No. 2) 1976	129 of 1976	9 Dec 1976	9 Dec 1976
Electoral Act Amendment Act (No. 2) 1979	39 of 1979	25 Oct 1979	23 Nov 1979 (see s. 2 and Gazette 23 Nov 1979 p. 3635)
Acts Amendment (Master, Supreme Court) Act 1979 Pt. XI	67 of 1979	21 Nov 1979	11 Feb 1980 (see s. 2 and Gazette 8 Feb 1980 p. 383)
Electoral Amendment Act 1980	52 of 1980	19 Nov 1980	19 Nov 1980
Reprint of the Electoral Act 1907 approved 8 Dec 1981 (includes amendments listed above)
Electoral Amendment Act 1982	31 of 1982	27 May 1982	11 Oct 1982 (see s. 2 and Gazette 10 Sep 1982 p. 3637)
Electoral Amendment Act (No. 2) 1982	123 of 1982	10 Dec 1982	10 Dec 1982
Electoral Amendment Act 1983	9 of 1983	29 Sep 1983	s. 5: 7 Oct 1983 (see s. 2 and Gazette 7 Oct 1983 p. 4066); s. 1-4 and 6-28: 1 Nov 1983 (see s. 2 and Gazette 14 Oct 1983 p. 4147); s. 29-31: 26 Jan 1984 (see s. 2 and Gazette 18 Nov 1983 p. 4559)
Electoral Amendment Act (No. 2) 1983	54 of 1983	13 Dec 1983	13 Dec 1983
Electoral Amendment Act (No. 3) 1983	66 of 1983	22 Dec 1983	26 Jan 1984 (see s. 2 and Gazette 20 Jan 1984 p. 119)
Health Legislation Amendment Act 1984 Pt. VI	28 of 1984	31 May 1984	1 Jul 1984 (see s. 2 and Gazette 15 Jun 1984 p. 1629)
Acts Amendment and Repeal (Disqualification for Parliament) Act 1984 Pt. VII	78 of 1984	14 Nov 1984	1 Jul 1985 (see s. 2 and Gazette 17 May 1985 p. 1671)
Electoral Amendment Act 1984	76 of 1984	26 Nov 1984	s. 1 and 2: 26 Nov 1984; Act other than s. 1 and 2: 24 Dec 1984 (see s. 2 and Gazette 21 Dec 1984 p. 4173)
Electoral Amendment Act (No. 2) 1985	104 of 1985 (as amended by No. 1 of 1987)	7 Dec 1985	s. 1 and 2: 7 Dec 1985; Act other than s. 1 and 2: 1 May 1987 (see s. 3 of Act No. 1 of 1987 and Commonwealth Special Gazette 68 of 1987)
Reprint of the Electoral Act 1907 as at 16 Jun 1986 (includes amendments listed above except those in the Electoral Amendment Act (No. 2) 1985)
Acts Amendment (Electoral Reform) Act 1987 Pt. IV 8, 9	40 of 1987	12 Jul 1987	30 Oct 1987 (see s. 2 and Gazette 30 Oct 1987 p. 3977)
Electoral (Procedures) Amendment Act 1987	79 of 1987	1 Dec 1987	s. 1 and 2: 1 Dec 1987; Act other than s. 1 and 2: 16 Feb 1988 (see s. 2 and Gazette 16 Feb 1988 p. 477)
Electoral Amendment Act 1988	20 of 1988	9 Sep 1988	9 Sep 1988 (see s. 2)
Electoral Amendment Act (No. 2) 1988	58 of 1988	8 Dec 1988	s. 1 and 2: 8 Dec 1988; Act other than s. 1 and 2: 27 Jan 1989 (see s. 2 and Gazette 27 Jan 1989 p. 264)
Reprint of the Electoral Act 1907 as at 1 Jan 1989 (includes amendments listed above except those in the Electoral Amendment Act (No. 2) 1988)
Guardianship and Administration Act 1990 s. 123	24 of 1990	7 Sep 1990	20 Oct 1992 (see s. 2 and Gazette 2 Oct 1992 p. 4811)
Electoral Amendment Act 1990	66 of 1990	17 Dec 1990	14 Jan 1991
Criminal Law Amendment Act (No. 2) 1992 s. 16(4)	51 of 1992	9 Dec 1992	6 Jan 1993
Electoral Amendment (Political Finance) Act 1992 10	75 of 1992 (as amended by No. 43 of 1996 Pt. 3; No. 64 of 2006 s. 55)	16 Dec 1992	s. 1 and 2: 16 Dec 1992; Act other than s. 1, 2, 5 and 6: 9 Nov 1996 (see s. 2 and Gazette 8 Nov 1996 p. 6265); s. 5 and 6 repealed by No. 64 of 2006 s. 55
Financial Administration Legislation Amendment Act 1993 s. 11	6 of 1993	27 Aug 1993	1 Jul 1993 (see s. 2(1))
Acts Amendment (Ministry of Justice) Act 1993 Pt. 8 11	31 of 1993	15 Dec 1993	1 Jul 1993 (see s. 2)
Acts Amendment (Public Sector Management) Act 1994 s. 11	32 of 1994	29 Jun 1994	1 Oct 1994 (see s. 2 and Gazette 30 Sep 1994 p. 4948)
Sentencing (Consequential Provisions) Act 1995 Pt. 26 and s. 147	78 of 1995	16 Jan 1996	4 Nov 1996 (see s. 2 and Gazette 25 Oct 1996 p. 5632)
Local Government (Consequential Amendments) Act 1996 s. 4	14 of 1996	28 Jun 1996	1 Jul 1996 (see s. 2)
Electoral Legislation Amendment Act 1996 Pt. 2	43 of 1996	16 Oct 1996	9 Nov 1996 (see s. 2(2) and Gazette 8 Nov 1996 p. 6265)
Financial Legislation Amendment Act 1996 s. 64	49 of 1996	25 Oct 1996	25 Oct 1996 (see s. 2(1))
Mental Health (Consequential Provisions) Act 1996 Pt. 6	69 of 1996	13 Nov 1996	13 Nov 1997 (see s. 2)
Reprint of the Electoral Act 1907 as at 22 Apr 1997 (includes amendments listed above except those in the Electoral Amendment (Political Finance) Act 1992 s. 5 and 6 and the Mental Health (Consequential Provisions) Act 1996)
Equal Opportunity Amendment Act (No. 3) 1997 s. 8	42 of 1997	9 Dec 1997	6 Jan 1998 (see s. 2(1))
Statutes (Repeals and Minor Amendments) Act (No. 2) 1998 s. 76	10 of 1998	30 Apr 1998	30 Apr 1998 (see s. 2(1))
Acts Repeal and Amendment (Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration) Act 1998 s. 11	40 of 1998	30 Oct 1998	14 Apr 1999 (see s. 2 and Gazette 9 Apr 1999 p. 1433)
Statutes (Repeals and Minor Amendments) Act 2000 s. 50	24 of 2000	4 Jul 2000	4 Jul 2000 (see s. 2)
Electoral Amendment Act 2000 12	36 of 2000	10 Oct 2000	s. 1 and 2: 10 Oct 2000; Act other than s. 1, 2, 28 and Pt. 5: 21 Oct 2000 (see s. 2 and Gazette 20 Oct 2000 p. 5899); s. 28 and Pt. 5: 11 Nov 2000 (see s. 2 and Gazette 10 Nov 2000 p. 6193)
Reprint of the Electoral Act 1907 as at 15 Dec 2000 (includes amendments listed above except those in the Electoral Amendment (Political Finance) Act 1992 s. 5 and 6)
Corporations (Consequential Amendments) Act 2001 s. 220	10 of 2001	28 Jun 2001	15 Jul 2001 (see s. 2 and Gazette 29 Jun 2001 p. 3257 and Cwlth Gazette 13 Jul 2001 No. S285)
Sentencing Legislation Amendment and Repeal Act 2003 s. 56	50 of 2003	9 Jul 2003	15 May 2004 (see s. 2 and Gazette 14 May 2004 p. 1445)
Statutes (Repeals and Minor Amendments) Act 2003 s. 47	74 of 2003	15 Dec 2003	15 Dec 2003 (see s. 2)
Criminal Code Amendment Act 2004 s. 58	4 of 2004	23 Apr 2004	21 May 2004 (see s. 2)
Children and Community Services Act 2004 Sch. 2 cl. 8	34 of 2004	20 Oct 2004	1 Mar 2006 (see s. 2 and Gazette 14 Feb 2006 p. 695)
Courts Legislation Amendment and Repeal Act 2004 s. 141	59 of 2004	23 Nov 2004	1 May 2005 (see s. 2 and Gazette 31 Dec 2004 p. 7128)
State Administrative Tribunal (Conferral of Jurisdiction) Amendment and Repeal Act 2004 s. 468 13	55 of 2004	24 Nov 2004	24 Jan 2005 (see s. 2 and Gazette 31 Dec 2004 p. 7130)
Criminal Procedure and Appeals (Consequential and Other Provisions) Act 2004 s. 80 and 82	84 of 2004	16 Dec 2004	2 May 2005 (see s. 2 and Gazette 31 Dec 2004 p. 7129 (correction in Gazette 7 Jan 2005 p. 53))
Electoral Amendment and Repeal Act 2005 Pt. 2	1 of 2005	20 May 2005	20 May 2005 (see s. 2)
Constitution and Electoral Amendment Act 2005 s. 4	2 of 2005	23 May 2005	23 May 2005 (see s. 2)
Reprint 13: The Electoral Act 1907 as at 9 Sep 2005 (includes amendments listed above except those in the Electoral Amendment (Political Finance) Act 1992 s. 5 and 6 and the Children and Community Services Act 2004)
Electoral Reform (Electoral Funding) Act 2006	55 of 2006	26 Oct 2006	27 Oct 2006 (see s. 2)
Electoral Legislation Amendment Act 2006 Pt. 3 14	64 of 2006	8 Dec 2006	5 Mar 2007 (see s. 2(2) and Gazette 2 Mar 2007 p. 689)
Financial Legislation Amendment and Repeal Act 2006 s. 4 and Sch. 1 cl. 51	77 of 2006	21 Dec 2006	1 Feb 2007 (see s. 2(1) and Gazette 19 Jan 2007 p. 137)
Reprint 14: The Electoral Act 1907 as at 7 Dec 2007 (includes amendments listed above)
Criminal Law Amendment (Homicide) Act 2008 s. 32	29 of 2008	27 Jun 2008	1 Aug 2008 (see s. 2(d) and Gazette 22 Jul 2008 p. 3353)
Electoral Amendment Act 2008	38 of 2008	3 Jul 2008	s. 1 and 2: 3 Jul 2008 (see s. 2(a)); Act other than s. 1 and 2: 30 Apr 2010 (see s. 2(b) and Gazette 23 Apr 2010 p. 1523)
Electoral Amendment (Miscellaneous) Act 2009	7 of 2009	21 May 2009	Pt. 1: 21 May 2009 (see s. 2(a)); Act other than Part 1: 1 Oct 2009 (see s. 2(b) and Gazette 1 Sep 2009 p. 3393)
Acts Amendment (Bankruptcy) Act 2009 s. 34	18 of 2009	16 Sep 2009	17 Sep 2009 (see s. 2(b))
Reprint 15: The Electoral Act 1907 as at 23 Jul 2010 (includes amendments listed above)
Electoral and Constitution Amendment Act 2011 Pt. 2	49 of 2011	11 Nov 2011	21 Dec 2011 (see s. 2(b) and Gazette 20 Dec 2011 p. 5373)

^1a On the date as at which this compilation was prepared, provisions referred to in the following table had not come into operation and were therefore not included in this compilation. For the text of the provisions see the endnotes referred to in the table.

Provisions that have not come into operation

Short title	Number and year	Assent	Commencement
State Superannuation (Transitional and Consequential Provisions) Act 2000 s. 75 15	43 of 2000	2 Nov 2000	To be proclaimed (see s. 2(2))

² The Superannuation and Family Benefits Act 1938 was repealed by the State Superannuation Act 2000 s. 39 but its provisions continue to apply to and in relation to certain schemes because of the State Superannuation (Transitional and Consequential Provisions) Act 2000 s. 26 and those provisions may be amended by regulations under subsection (3) of that section. See also endnote 15.

³ Repealed by the Planning and Development (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Act 2005 s. 4. The part of the State that was, as at 1 June 1988, described in the Third Schedule to the Metropolitan Region Town Planning Scheme Act 1959 is also described in the Planning and Development Act 2005 Sch. 3 as it was enacted on 12 December 2005.

⁴ Under the Public Sector Management Act 1994 s. 112(1), a reference to the Public Service Act 1978 is, unless the contrary is intended, to be read and construed as a reference to the Public Sector Management Act 1994.

⁵ The Interpretation Act 1918 was repealed by the Interpretation Act 1984.

⁶ In this reprint the renumbering of sections effected in the 1943 reprint (in Volume 2 of the Reprinted Acts of the Parliament of Western Australia) and retained in subsequent reprints has again been retained. References to the original numbering are contained in the 1943 reprint.

⁷ The Schedule to the Metric Conversion Act 1972 was redesignated as the First Schedule by the Metric Conversion Act Amendment Act 1973.

⁸ The Acts Amendment (Electoral Reform) Act 1987 s. 19(2) reads as follows:

(2) References to the Chief Electoral Officer in any written law shall, unless because of the context it would be inappropriate so to do, be read and construed as references to the Electoral Commissioner.

⁹ The Acts Amendment (Electoral Reform) Act 1987 s. 21(2) reads as follows:

(2) A Registrar or returning officer holding office immediately before the commencement of this Act shall, on and from that commencement, be deemed to have been appointed by the Electoral Commissioner.

¹⁰ The Electoral Amendment (Political Finance) Act 1992 s. 8 is a transitional provision of no further effect.

¹¹ The Acts Amendment (Ministry of Justice) Act 1993 Pt. 19 is a savings and transitional provision that is of no further effect.

¹² The Electoral Amendment Act 2000 s. 81(2) reads as follows:

(2) The repeal of Schedule 3 does not affect the operation of the Electoral (Ballot Paper Forms) Regulations 1990.

¹³ The State Administrative Tribunal (Conferral of Jurisdiction) Amendment and Repeal Act 2004 Pt. 5, the State Administrative Tribunal Act 2004 s. 167 and 169, and the State Administrative Tribunal Regulations 2004 r. 28 and 42 deal with certain transitional issues some of which may be relevant for this Act.

¹⁵ On the date as at which this compilation was prepared, the State Superannuation (Transitional and Consequential Provisions) Act 2000 s. 75 had not come into operation. It reads as follows:

75. Various provisions repealed

The provisions listed in the Table to this section are repealed.

Table of provisions repealed

Act	Provision
.............................	.......
Electoral Act 1907	s. 5E(2)
.............................	.......

Defined Terms

[This is a list of terms defined and the provisions where they are defined. The list is not part of the law.]

Defined Term Provision(s)
A 175LC(2)
absent voter 4(1)
absolute majority of votes 144(3)
advertise 75(4)
agent 175
application name 62J(1)
approved 175
Assembly 4(1)
associated entity 175
Australian citizen 4(1)
Australian Electoral Officer 31(6)
authorised officer 175W(1)
authorised witness 4(1)
automated 146I(6)
available day 71(1)
average district enrolment 16A, 16G(1)
B 175LC(2)
ballot Sch. 2
ballot paper regulations 213(3)
ballot papers 99B(1)
breach or neglect of official duty 180
bribery 182
broadcast 175
C 175LC(2)
campaign committee 175
candidate 4(1)
chief executive officer, prisons 59(1)
christian name 4(1)
Commissioners 16A
conjoint election 4(1)
consenting candidate 156D(1)
constitution 4(1)
continuing candidate Sch. 1
Council 4(1)
CPI 175LC(3)
Deputy Electoral Commissioner 4(1)
disposition of property 175
district 4(1)
division 175
early ballot paper 4(1)
early vote 4(1)
election 4(1), 175LA(1), 175Q(6)
election period 62C(1), 175
election year 4(1)
elector 4(1)
electoral census 4(1)
Electoral Commissioner 4(1), 5B(1)
electoral expenditure 175
electoral matter 175
electoral paper 191(3)
eligible political party 62C(1)
eligible vote 175LA(1)
enrolment information 4(1)
entity 175
excluded day 71(1)
existing party 62J(1)
expiry year 4(1)
financial controller 175
general election 4(1), 175
general polling place 4(1), 100(3)
gift 175
Government Statistician 16A
group 4(1)
hour of nomination 4(1)
input tax credit 175LG(2)
issuing officer 90(2)
journal 175
large district allowance 16G(4)
member 62C(1)
mentally impaired accused 59(1)
metropolitan area of Perth 16H(2)
modified penalty 156(6), 156(12)
name 113C(10)
non-participating candidate 156D(14)
officer 4(1)
official paper 4(1)
original election 156A
parent body 62C(4)
parliamentary party 25A(6), 62C(1)
party group 175LA(1)
party nomination 81A(1)
periodic election 4(1)
permitted purpose 25D(2)
person with judicial experience 16A
political gift 199A(2)
political party 4(1)
polling place 4(1), 193(2)
polling day 69(b)
preference mark 146E(7)
prescribed information 25A(1a)
prescribed manner 140(3), 146E(2)
President 4(1)
previous electoral distribution 16L(1)
previously elected member 156D(14)
principal officer 175
prison 4(1)
prisoner 59(1)
property 175
public agency 175
public body name 62J(1)
publish 191A(4)
qualified person 156A
referendum 4(1)
region 4(1)
register of political parties 62C(1)
registered political party 4(1), 62C(1)
related political party 62C(1)
relevant citizenship law 4(1)
relevant day 16A
relevant number 4(1)
relevant period 191A(4)
required deposit 81(2)
required information 59(1)
response date 156(6), 156(12)
returning officer 4(1)
roll 4(1)
secretary 4(1)
secretary, Mentally Impaired Accused Review Board 59(1)
single member election 4(1)
Speaker 4(1)
specified amount 175
State party 62C(4)
sub-district 4(1)
surplus votes Sch. 1
the donor 175R(1)
the enrolment officer 42
the party agents register 175F(1)
the recipient 175R(1)
the relevant election 175O(2), 175Q(4)
the tied candidates 145(3)
tied candidates 144(2), Sch. 1
undue influence 184
vacancy 156A

valid and sufficient reason 156(16)
voting ticket 4(1)
voting ticket square 4(1)
writ 4(1)