Commonwealth
Electoral Act 1973
No. 7 of 1973
AN ACT
To lower to Eighteen Years the Age
Qualification for Enrolment, Voting and Candidature for Parliamentary
Elections.
[Assented to 16 March 1973]
BE IT ENACTED by the Queen, the
Senate and the House of Representatives of Australia, as follows:—
Short
title and citation.
1. (1) This Act may be cited as the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1973.
(2) The Commonwealth
Electoral Act 1918–1966 is in this Act referred to as the Principal Act.
(3) The Principal Act, as amended by this Act,
may be cited as the Commonwealth
Electoral Act 1918–1973.
Commencement.
2. This Act shall come into operation on a date to be fixed by Proclamation.
Persons
entitled to enrolment and to vote.
3. Section 39 of the Principal Act is amended by omitting from
subsection (1) the words “twenty-one years” and substituting the words “eighteen
years”.
Unenrolled
members of Defence Force serving outside Australia.
4. Section 39a of the Principal Act is amended—
(a)
by omitting from paragraph (a) of sub-section (1) the words “twenty-one years”
and substituting the words “eighteen years”; and
(b)
by omitting sub-sections (3) and (4).
Lists
of deaths and marriages to be forwarded.
5. Section 49 of the Principal Act is amended by omitting the words “twenty-one
years” (wherever occurring) and substituting the words “eighteen years”.
Qualifications
of members of House of Representatives.
6. Section 69 of the Principal Act is amended by omitting from
paragraph (a) of sub-section (1) the words “twenty-one years” and substituting
the words “eighteen years”.
Questions
to be put to voter.
7. Section 115 of the Principal Act is amended by omitting from
sub-paragraph (iv) of paragraph (b) of sub-section (1) the words “twenty-one
years” and substituting the words “eighteen years”.
Transitional
provision.
8.