Legislative Reference Guide

Part XI of the Act deals with the registration of political parties. Its provisions may be grouped as:

• Definitions and interpretation – section 123. Note that section 4 contains definitions of relevance to the Act as whole;

• Application for registration – sections 126-129;

• Consideration of application – sections 131, 132 and 132A;

• Public register – sections 125, 133 and 134;

• Deregistration – sections 134A, 135, 136, 137, 138 and 138A;

• Appeals - section 141.

Registered political parties are subject to Part XX of the Act, which deals with election funding and financial disclosure. Separate Funding and Disclosure Handbooks available at www.aec.gov.au address these provisions.

Registered political parties are entitled to copies of the electoral roll and habitation index, and voting information in relation to an election. Section 90B of the Act, and sections 91A and 91B of the Act refer.

The registered party name, or its abbreviation, may be printed next to the names of endorsed candidates and Senate groups on ballot papers (sections 169, 210A and 214 of the Act refer).

Registered political parties are entitled to access to an electronic list of postal vote applicants in respect of an election (section 189A of the Act refers).