Misinformation and disinformation register

NT voters choose who they want to represent them as Members of Parliament by electing them.

The Electoral Commissioner is an independent statutory officer, appointed to run the election in a fair and transparent way. 

The integrity of the election processes in the NT is protected in a number of ways, including:

• NT Electoral Commission employees must maintain strict political neutrality requirements
• scrutineers may be appointed by candidates and parties and are entitled to observe voting and counting processes
• all ballot boxes are sealed with numbered seals. The numbers are recorded, and these are checked in the presence of scrutineers at the start of counting on election night. Only authorised election officials have access to secure areas where ballot boxes are stored
• maintaining this register to rebut misleading information about the electoral process in the NT.

Source: Known common topic

Date detected: Ongoing

NT Electoral Commission’s action: The NT Electoral Commission provided the correct information on its website.

Enrolment for NT Legislative Assembly and local government elections is managed through a longstanding Commonwealth/State joint roll arrangement with the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC). 

The AEC impartially performs electoral roll management, processing millions of enrolment transactions yearly. The AEC receives data from a range government departments/agencies and may include an individual's surname, given name(s), date of birth, and address, to keep the roll updated. Information is examined and matched against the electoral roll to identify people who may need an enrolment action to be taken.

Maintaining the accuracy and scope of the roll ensures as many Australians as possible can perform their legal obligation to vote. Enrolment and voting is compulsory in the NT. The roll may be inspected in the NT in certain circumstances to support transparency.

Voting more than once in elections is against the law. After each election, the NT Electoral Commission undertakes a process to review and identify anyone who has been marked off the electoral roll more than once. It will then make further inquiries and take any further necessary steps, such as making declarations requiring special voting arrangements for some electors.

Source: Known common topic

Date detected: Ongoing

NT Electoral Commission’s action: The NT Electoral Commission provided the correct information on its website.

Pencils are supplied at elections run by the NT Electoral Commission. Electors are also encouraged to bring their own pen if they prefer.

If you vote with a pencil, your vote is not erased. During voting, election officials do not have access to completed ballot papers. Ballot papers are stored in boxes that have seals, with seal numbers recorded and these are checked in the presence of scrutineers at the start of counting on election night. The ballot boxes are opened after 6pm, and the ballot papers sorted and counted, under the observation of scrutineers, where present, to verify that the election is carried out in a proper manner.

Scrutineers are present to observe voting and counting. They play a crucial role in ensuring the integrity of voting and counting processes.

Source: Known common topic

Date detected: Ongoing

NT Electoral Commission’s action: The NT Electoral Commission provided the correct information on its website.

Scrutineers play an important accountability and transparency role in the election process.  They represent candidates or parties, and advise them on the procedures being followed by the NT Electoral Commission, the election manager and election officials. Their role is to satisfy candidates and registered political parties that the election process is carried out fairly, impartially and with integrity.

Every candidate is free to appoint a scrutineer to observe counting and voting processes.

Source: Known common topic

Date detected: Ongoing

NT Electoral Commission’s action: The NT Electoral Commission provided the correct information on its website.

This relocation of boxes is permitted and there are processes in place to ensure there is a robust audit trail of the ballot box movements:

• all ballot boxes are sealed and those seal numbers are recorded by election officials
• when the ballot boxes are collected their security seal is recorded by the early voting centre and the election official doing the collection
• the number is also recorded by Voting Centre Manager on receipt, and the Voting Centre Manager signs for the ballot box
• the Voting Centre Manager then stores the ballot boxes from the early voting centre in a secure zone until they are required for sorting and counting
• the ballot boxes are not moved from the secure area until after voting stops at 6pm on election night.

Source: Known common topic

Date detected: Ongoing

NT Electoral Commission’s action: The NT Electoral Commission provided the correct information on its website.

The NT Electoral Commission have procedures in place to check a voter is entitled to vote and to ensure their vote cannot be identified. One important protection is that when an election official is extracting the ballot paper from the postal envelop it is done so the elector details are not visible. Envelopes where the postal vote certificate is not properly signed and witnessed are rejected, not opened and the ballot papers inside are never seen.

Source: Known common topic

Date detected: Ongoing

NT Electoral Commission’s action: The NT Electoral Commission provided the correct information on its website.

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