Sponsor speech Supports
Kate Chaney
Kate Chaney supported the bill as a privacy and electoral-integrity measure.
Read in Hansard ↗Commonwealth Electoral Amendment (Protecting Voters)
Current status
This bill is currently before Parliament.
Policy area
Government & democracy
What does this bill do?
The bill would stop registered political parties and Senate or House candidates from applying to register someone as a general postal voterA voter who is registered to receive postal voting materials automatically for elections because they meet eligibility rules. on that voter’s behalf.
Why was it introduced?
Kate Chaney introduced the bill to address a postal-vote application practice described in the explanatory memorandum: parties and candidates can send voters application forms with reply-paid envelopes that look generic, receive the completed forms first, collect personal information, and then forward the forms to the AECThe independent agency that runs federal elections and referendums.. The memorandum links the proposal to rising postal voting, AECThe independent agency that runs federal elections and referendums. privacy and confusion concerns, and a Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters recommendation that postal vote applications be sent directly to AECThe independent agency that runs federal elections and referendums. nominated addresses.
Broader context
Postal voting has become a larger part of federal elections, and the bill sits inside a long-running debate about voter trust, privacy and the role of political parties in election administration. The explanatory memorandum says postal votes rose from 5.1% of total votes in 2004 to 14.6% in 2022 and 13.6% in 2025. It also says the AECThe independent agency that runs federal elections and referendums. warned parties in April 2022 about potentially misleading postal vote applicationA form asking the AEC to send a voter postal ballot papers so they can vote by post. material. Against that background, this private member’s bill proposes a narrow change: parties and candidates could still send application forms to voters, but they could not return completed forms to the AECThe independent agency that runs federal elections and referendums. for voters.
Key criticism
The collected source bundle does not include a substantive parliamentary case against the bill. The available speeches were from Kate Chaney and Monique Ryan, both supporting the proposal, and no proposed amendments, divisions or passed text were collected. This should be read as a limit of the available sources, not proof that no criticism exists outside the bundle.
Who supported it?
Kate Chaney MP introduced this bill. Supportive speeches so far have come from some crossbench members.
Introduced in House 03 Nov 2025
At second reading in House 03 Nov 2025
Not yet reached Senate —
Not yet law —
Did it become law?
Not yet
Final passage
No final vote yet
The bill has not yet completed passage through Parliament.
Days since introduction
219 days
Updated 10 June 2026.
Meaning
What does this bill do?
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The bill would stop registered political parties and Senate or House candidates from applying to register someone as a general postal voterA voter who is registered to receive postal voting materials automatically for elections because they meet eligibility rules. on that voter’s behalf.
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It would also stop those parties and candidates from sending a voter’s postal vote applicationA form asking the AEC to send a voter postal ballot papers so they can vote by post. form to the Electoral CommissionerThe statutory head of the Australian Electoral Commission. or an Assistant Returning OfficerAn election official who can receive and process certain election materials under the Commonwealth Electoral Act. on the voter’s behalf.
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Each new restriction would carry a civil penaltyA financial penalty imposed through civil law rather than a criminal conviction. of 100 penalty units.
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The stated aim is to protect voters’ personal information by removing the role of parties and candidates in submitting postal vote applications.
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If passed, the main amendments would start the day after Royal AssentThe formal approval that turns a bill passed by Parliament into an Act..
Show source excerpts
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An application for registration as a general postal voter for a Division must not be made, in respect and on behalf of an elector, by: (a) a registered political party; or (b) a candidate in a Senate election; or (c) a candidate in a House of Representatives election.
Commonwealth Electoral Amendment (Protecting Voters) introduced bill text -
An application form for a postal vote must not be sent, on behalf of the applicant, to the Electoral Commissioner or Assistant Returning Officer by: (a) a registered political party; or (b) a candidate in a Senate election; or (c) a candidate in a House of Representatives election.
Commonwealth Electoral Amendment (Protecting Voters) introduced bill text -
Civil penalty: 100 penalty units.
Commonwealth Electoral Amendment (Protecting Voters) introduced bill text -
This Bill amends the Commonwealth Electoral Act to protect voters’ personal information, by removing the role of political parties or candidates in submitting postal vote applications.
Commonwealth Electoral Amendment (Protecting Voters) explanatory memorandum -
Schedule 1 The day after this Act receives the Royal Assent.
Commonwealth Electoral Amendment (Protecting Voters) introduced bill text
Context
Broader context for this bill
Postal voting has become a larger part of federal elections, and the bill sits inside a long-running debate about voter trust, privacy and the role of political parties in election administration. The explanatory memorandum says postal votes rose from 5.1% of total votes in 2004 to 14.6% in 2022 and 13.6% in 2025. It also says the AECThe independent agency that runs federal elections and referendums. warned parties in April 2022 about potentially misleading postal vote applicationA form asking the AEC to send a voter postal ballot papers so they can vote by post. material. Against that background, this private member’s bill proposes a narrow change: parties and candidates could still send application forms to voters, but they could not return completed forms to the AECThe independent agency that runs federal elections and referendums. for voters.
- 2004 to 2025
Postal voting becomes more common
The explanatory memorandum says postal votes increased from 5.1% of total votes in 2004 to 14.6% in 2022, and were 13.6% of votes in 2025.
Explanatory memorandum ↗ - 16 Apr 2022
AECThe independent agency that runs federal elections and referendums. warns parties about postal vote applicationA form asking the AEC to send a voter postal ballot papers so they can vote by post. material
The explanatory memorandum says AECThe independent agency that runs federal elections and referendums. Commissioner Tom Rogers wrote to registered political parties warning against potentially misleading postal vote applications, including material that could be mistaken for AECThe independent agency that runs federal elections and referendums. communication.
Explanatory memorandum ↗ - Before Nov 2025
Electoral committee recommends direct-to-AECThe independent agency that runs federal elections and referendums. applications
The explanatory memorandum cites recommendation 21 of the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters final report, which recommended clarifying that postal vote applications must be sent directly to the AECThe independent agency that runs federal elections and referendums.’s nominated addresses.
Explanatory memorandum ↗ - 03 Nov 2025
Protecting Voters bill introduced
Kate Chaney introduced the bill in the House of Representatives and moved the second reading. The APH record listed the bill as before the House at collection time.
Parliamentary timeline ↗
Legislative route
How did it move through Parliament?
House Senate
Introduced 03 Nov 2025
The bill was formally presented to the chamber and read a first time, which starts its parliamentary journey.
Introduced and read a first time
Second reading opened 03 Nov 2025
A minister or sponsoring member moved the second reading, opening the main debate on the bill's purpose and principles.
Second reading moved
Key criticism
The main case against this bill
The collected source bundle does not include a substantive parliamentary case against the bill. The available speeches were from Kate Chaney and Monique Ryan, both supporting the proposal, and no proposed amendments, divisions or passed text were collected. This should be read as a limit of the available sources, not proof that no criticism exists outside the bundle.
No opposition speech, amendment outcome or division was collected for this bill at the time of this page.
Further sources
Votes
Recorded votes
No recorded votes have been found yet for this bill.
Parliamentary debate
Who spoke, and what they said
Start here — lead voices
Lead non-major voice Supports
Monique Ryan
Monique Ryan seconded and supported the bill.
Read in Hansard ↗All speeches by bloc
Minor parties and independents
2 speakers · 2 support
Minor parties and independents
2 speakers · 2 support
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Kate Chaney ★ Kate Chaney supported the bill as a privacy and electoral-integrity measure.
“This bill amends the Commonwealth Electoral Act to ensure that only voters themselves, not political parties or candidates, can submit postal vote applications to the AEC.”
Read the full speech in Hansard ↗ -
Monique Ryan ★ Monique Ryan seconded and supported the bill.
“The AEC has warned that third-party postal vote applications cause confusion, privacy concerns and processing delays.”
Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
Record
Full record
- Status
- Before Reps -- Collected from the APH bill page.
- Originating house
- House of Representatives
- Introduced
- 03 Nov 2025 -- The bill was introduced and read a first time in the House of Representatives.
- Recorded divisions found
- 0 -- No counted divisions were collected for this bill.
- Proposed commencement
- Schedule 1 would start the day after Royal Assent -- This is the commencement rule in the introduced bill text, not evidence that Royal Assent has occurred.
- 03 Nov 2025
House · Introduced and read a first time
Introduced
The bill was formally presented to the chamber and read a first time, which starts its parliamentary journey.
- 03 Nov 2025
House · Second reading moved
Second reading opened
A minister or sponsoring member moved the second reading, opening the main debate on the bill's purpose and principles.