The report on the conduct of the ACT Legislative Assembly election held on 15 October 2016 was tabled in the ACT Legislative Assembly yesterday.

“The report examines the conduct of the 2016 election and the operation of the Electoral Act, and recommends areas for improvement,” acting ACT Electoral Commissioner, Mr Ro Spence said.

In addition to reporting on the conduct of the 2016 election, the report makes recommendations for changes to the electoral legislation with a view to preparations for, and the conduct of, the 2020 ACT Legislative Assembly election.

The report notes that the Commission built upon the achievements and innovations of the 2012 election, highlighting the use of technology to facilitate the accurate and efficient delivery of high quality electoral services in the context of an increase in the size of the Legislative Assembly.

The report also notes that the efforts taken to achieve the successful conduct of the 2016 ACT election combined to provide electoral services to the highest ever number of ACT electors with the result provided in the shortest possible time. The 2016 election also delivered the lowest ever rate of informal voting and experienced a marked increase in the provision of electronic voting to around 1 in 3 of all ACT voters.

The report can be read in conjunction with Election Statistics: ACT Legislative Assembly election 2016, released by the Commission in February 2017.

Copies of the report, and the published Election Statistics, are available from the ACT Electoral Commission (phone 6205 0033) or can be viewed on the Elections ACT website at www.elections.act.gov.au