TAS Fines for Failing to Vote in Council Elections; Citizens Must Have Lived in Tassie for 12 Months to Qualify for the Local Council Electoral Roll

Local Government Electoral Bill 2026

3 Sep 2026: MPs in the first house are debating whether this bill is a good idea in principle.

House of Assembly

Legislative Council

Assent

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Topics

elections electoral roll local government voter registration voting

Introduced by: The Hon Guy Barnett MP (LIB)

Links to official parliament websites

Official page: progress through parliament

Effects of this bill

If this bill passes, it means that:

Enrolled voters face a fine if they fail to vote without a valid reason.
Voters who ignore failure to vote notices face a second, higher penalty.
Electoral officers can order a person to leave a polling place if they suspect an offence has been committed; police must help remove them.
Using the list of electors for purposes unrelated to the election or council management is a crime.
Candidates cannot nominate for both mayor and deputy mayor in the same ordinary election.
People applying for the Local Government Electoral Roll must be at least 18; they must have lived in Tasmania for 12 months and not be serving a prison sentence of more than 3 years.
Corporate bodies applying for the Local Government Electoral Roll must have a registered office or principal place of business in Tasmania.