Norfolk Island Regional Council election

On 10 February 2021, the Assistant Minister for Regional Development and Territories announced that the election of the Norfolk Island Regional Council (NIRC) scheduled for Saturday 13 March 2021 has been postponed for 12 months because the NIRC is subject to a public inquiry.

Anything done for the election that would have been held on 13 March 2021 has no effect or operation, including nominations and postal votes that have been issued or received.

On this page

Enrolment

You can apply to enrol or check or update your details at any time—see below.

Who is a resident of Norfolk Island for the election?

For the election, a person is a resident of Norfolk Island if they have lived at their address on Norfolk Island for at least one month.

Enrolment—residential roll

The residential roll for NIRC elections is based on the Commonwealth electoral roll for Norfolk Island maintained by the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC). If a Norfolk Island resident is on the Commonwealth roll for Norfolk Island, they will automatically be included on the residential roll.

Enrolment on the Commonwealth electoral roll is compulsory for eligible Norfolk Island residents.

To find out who can enrol on the Commonwealth electoral roll, see below.

How to enrol

To enrol on the Commonwealth electoral roll, visit the AEC's Norfolk Island electors page at www.aec.gov.au/Enrolling_to_vote/Special_Category/Norfolk_Island_electors.htm

Norfolk Island residents will need to select ACT as their State or Territory. Norfolk Island is in the federal electorate of Bean in the ACT.

Norfolk Island residents do not have to provide a phone number when enrolling on the AEC website. However, you are encouraged to provide an email address so the AEC can communicate with you about your enrolment.

How to check your enrolment

If you are unsure whether you are enrolled on the Commonwealth electoral roll, you should check your enrolment on the AEC's website at www.aec.gov.au/check or by contacting the AEC.

Contact details for the AEC are available on their website at www.aec.gov.au/contact

If using the online enquiry form, Norfolk Island residents should:

  • select ‘Voting and Enrolment’ from the dropdown box next to ‘Topic’
  • select ‘ACT’ as their location from the dropdown box next to ‘State or territory’
  • click on the words ‘My question is related to enrolling and voting in federal elections’.

Changing details with the AEC

Anyone who needs to change their details on the Commonwealth electoral roll, should visit the AEC's Norfolk Island electors page at www.aec.gov.au/Enrolling_to_vote/Special_Category/Norfolk_Island_electors.htm

Residents of Norfolk Island will need to select ACT as their State or territory.

Silent electors—residential roll

If a person believes that including their place of living on the residential roll would put their personal safety or the personal safety of members of their family at risk, they can ask for that information to be excluded.

A person who wishes to be included as a silent elector on the residential roll for a NIRC election will need to submit an application to the department even if they are enrolled as a silent elector on the Commonwealth electoral roll for Norfolk Island.

  • Silent electors" application form PDF: 314 KB

    Who can nominate for election as a councillor?

    Information about nominating for election will be provided before the next election is held.

    Voting

    Each person is entitled to one vote.

    Voting is compulsory for Norfolk Island residents.

    Electors on the non-residential roll or the roll of occupiers and ratepaying lessees are not required to vote.

    Who can vote at a NIRC election?

    A person can vote at a NIRC election if they are enrolled on the Commonwealth electoral roll AND they are:

    • a resident of Norfolk Island; OR
    • a non-resident owner of rateable land on Norfolk Island who is on the roll of non-resident owners of rateable land maintained by the General Manager of NIRC; OR
    • an occupier or ratepaying lessee of Norfolk Island land who is on the roll of occupiers and ratepaying lessees maintained by the General Manager of NIRC.

    Prisoners enrolled on the Commonwealth electoral roll and serving a sentence of imprisonment of three years or more are not eligible to vote.

    Who can enrol on the Commonwealth electoral roll?

    A Norfolk Island resident (or a non-resident) can enrol on the Commonwealth electoral roll if they are:

    • an Australian citizen OR an eligible British subject; AND
    • aged 18 years and over and have lived at their address for at least one month.

    Who is an eligible British subject?

    An eligible British subject is someone who is:

    • living permanently in Australia, including Norfolk Island;
    • is not an Australian citizen; and
    • was enrolled on the Commonwealth electoral roll immediately before 26 January 1984 (when the law changed in order to make Australian citizenship a requirement for voting in federal elections).

    How can I find out whether I was enrolled immediately before 26 January 1984?

    If you are unsure whether you were enrolled immediately before 26 January 1984, please contact the AEC.

    Do eligible British subjects have to enrol?

    Yes, eligible British subjects must enrol to vote.

    I"m a British subject but I wasn"t on the roll immediately before 26 January 1984. Can I enrol and vote?

    No, a British subject who was not on the roll immediately before 26 January 1984 is not eligible to enrol even if they were resident in Australia at that time.

    Privacy

    All personal information for a NIRC election will be handled in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988.

    Further information

    If anyone has any questions about NIRC elections, they can send an email to NIRC.elections@infrastructure.gov.au