[no bill text published] NSW Identification Requirements for People Voting in Elections

Electoral Amendment (Voter ID and Electronic Mark Off) Bill 2024 (No 2)

Opposition Bill

8 May 2025: This bill was voted against and will not be discussed further (Defeated).

Legislative Assembly

Legislative Council

Assent

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Topics

election administration voter identification voter rolls voting rights

Introduced by: Gareth Ward (LIB)

Links to official parliament websites

Official page: progress through parliament

Official page: bill text and explanatory notes

Effects of this bill

If this bill passes, it means that:

Election officials must ask every person claiming to vote to show a current ID document.
Officials must reject a person's claim to vote if they fail or refuse to show ID.
Absent voters must show a current ID document to the official; otherwise, their application to vote is rejected.
People making a provisional vote declaration must show a current ID document.
Officials cannot ask for ID if the person is a silent elector; this also applies to absent silent electors.
The Electoral Commissioner must keep a copy of the electronic authorised roll on a networked computer system.
This system lets officials at voting centres record when a ballot paper is given to a person.

The Debate

What different members said when this bill was debated:

Mr GARETH WARD

“Government members have been up to their old tricks. This Government does not like transparency and accountability. During the debate, the member for Shellharbour referred to all sorts of ridiculous scenarios that might happen. However, we know that more than 3,000 people voted more than once at the previous election, and that is a scenario that can be stopped right now.”

Official source →

News articles and press releases

Electoral Amendment (Voter ID and Electronic Mark Off) Bill 2024 (No 2)

Mr GARETH WARD, Member for Kiama — 2024-11-15

As noted in the bill, that identification means a driver’s licence; a photo card; a proof of age card issued by Australia Post; a Medicare card; a pensioner concession card, Department of Veterans’ Affairs entitlement card or other entitlement card issued by the Commonwealth or a State government; a student identity card issued by an educational institution; or an Australian passport.