ACT electoral system reform

The ACT Labor Government has successfully lowered the age for people to enrol to vote from age 17 to 16, to make it easier for them to be ready to vote by age 18, Attorney General, Simon Corbell, said today.

"This change will bring the ACT in line with the national electoral system and is aimed at allowing young people a greater opportunity to participate in decision making about government," Mr Corbell said.

Mr Corbell said the move was part of a number of reforms aimed at streamlining the ACT's electoral system in response to a report following the 2008 Legislative Assembly Election.

The Electoral Legislation Amendment Bill 2011, passed in the Legislative Assembly today, will also;

? allow candidate deposits to be refunded to the person who paid it, rather than the money automatically going back to the candidate;

? provide that the certified list of electors used in polling places contain the year of birth and gender of each elector, in order to assist in correctly identifying electors as they vote on polling day;

? remove the requirement for a person to sign as a witness when a voter casts a postal vote; and,

? provide flexibility to the Electoral Commissioner to determine where the word "declaration" is to be printed, in relation to the words "ballot paper", on declaration ballot papers.

"The bill also sought to make changes to the framework applying when a vacancy arises in the Legislative Assembly," Mr Corbell said.

"Due to the failure of the Opposition to support the government's proposed amendments to arrangements for casual vacancies, the provisions of the current Bill have been removed."