FOI Request LEX6047

Date: 2024

The FOI request focuses on the Australian Electoral Commission's (AEC) internal processes for verifying and processing Australian citizenship to establish eligibility for electoral enrolment.

The documents released include:
* "Roll Why – Citizenship pages" (internal policy/rationale)
* "Roll How – Citizenship pages" (internal procedures/guidance)
* "Questionnaire to establish eligibility for electoral enrolment" (likely a template or guidance on its use)
* "Citizenship Check – Service Centre" (procedures for liaison with Department of Home Affairs)

The main content from these documents details the AEC's comprehensive approach to citizenship and enrolment eligibility:

Citizenship Verification Process: Outlines steps to confirm an applicant's Australian citizenship or eligible British Subject status. This includes initial database searches using AEC's GENESIS and RMANS systems, requesting additional information via a "Citizenship Questionnaire (Defect Letter)" if a match isn't found, and escalating to a formal "Citizenship Check" request to the Department of Home Affairs via the AEC Service Centre when internal avenues are exhausted.
Types of Eligibility: Covers criteria for Australian citizens (by birth or grant) and "Eligible British Subjects" (EBS), noting historical provisions and specific dates (e.g., being on the electoral roll by 25 January 1984) that determine EBS eligibility across different states and territories.
Provisional Enrolment: Details two provisions (Sections 99A and 99B of the Commonwealth Electoral Act) allowing individuals in the process of becoming Australian citizens to provisionally enrol.
- Section 99A (Non-Election Period): For those who have applied for citizenship. Requires evidence of application and identity.
- Section 99B (Close of Roll): For those with a confirmed citizenship ceremony between an election announcement and polling day. Allows a declaration vote if citizenship is granted by the first Friday after polling day. Requires evidence of ceremony notification.
Evidence of Identity (EOI): Provides extensive guidelines on acceptable forms of EOI, including Australian driver's licences, passports, citizenship certificates, Medicare cards, and attestation by an enrolled elector (Person Confirming Identity - PCI). It details how these are verified using AEC's EOI subsystem and the Document Verification System (DVS), procedures for handling variances, and rules regarding the retention of EOI images. Crucially, it distinguishes which citizenship-related numbers are valid for EOI purposes versus merely confirming citizenship eligibility.
Internal System Operations and Data Integrity: References the use of AEC's GENESIS and RMANS systems for processing applications, matching records, applying specific "Citizenship notations" (AX, AC, AV, BS, NN) to indicate verification methods, and running reports to ensure data consistency with Home Affairs records. It explains the various "Status" types found in the citizenship database (e.g., Acquired, Approved, Revoked, Undo Revoked) and their implications for enrolment.

AI Generated

These FOI documents outline the Australian Electoral Commission's (AEC) internal procedures for electoral enrolment, specifically focusing on citizenship verification, evidence of identity (EOI), and provisional enrolment for new citizens. From a left-leaning perspective, the documents reveal both positive steps towards democratic inclusion and significant deviations from core progressive values, particularly concerning social justice and civil liberties.

Social Justice & Civil Liberties:

Exclusion of Non-Citizens (Deviation): A fundamental progressive concern is the explicit exclusion of non-citizens, including permanent residents and temporary visa holders, from electoral enrolment and voting. The documents consistently state that only Australian citizens (or a specific cohort of "Eligible British Subjects" registered before a historical cut-off date) can enroll. This policy denies democratic participation to a significant portion of the population who contribute to society through work and taxes, undermining the principle of "no taxation without representation" and hindering genuine social inclusion.
Disenfranchisement of Prisoners (Deviation): The policy to deny voting rights to prisoners serving sentences greater than three years is a notable deviation. Progressive values often advocate for universal suffrage and a justice system that prioritizes rehabilitation, which would typically include maintaining voting rights for all citizens, regardless of incarceration status.
"Unsound Mind" Disqualification (Deviation): The disqualification of individuals deemed to be of "unsound mind" (page 25) raises concerns about potential discrimination against people with disabilities or mental health conditions. A progressive approach would focus on providing support and accommodations to enable civic participation, rather than imposing blanket disqualifications.
Bureaucratic Barriers and Burden of Proof (Deviation): The detailed and multi-step processes for verifying citizenship and EOI, involving "defect letters" (pages 9, 12) for missing information, strict deadlines, and extensive internal checks with the Department of Home Affairs, create a significant administrative burden on applicants. This complexity disproportionately impacts vulnerable groups, including those with limited English proficiency, low digital literacy, or unstable housing, potentially disenfranchising them due to administrative hurdles rather than genuine ineligibility.
"Eligible British Subjects" (Historical Anomaly/Deviation): The continued, albeit complex, provisions for "Eligible British Subjects" (pages 17, 20, 24) to enroll reflects a historical anomaly rooted in colonial ties. While perhaps a minor point in modern context, it contrasts with progressive ideals of equal civic status for all citizens, regardless of historical imperial affiliations. The AEC acknowledging its staff "are not experts or authorities on citizenship" (page 12, 20) in this complex area further highlights potential for inconsistency.
Youth Enrolment (Limited Alignment): The allowance for 16 and 17-year-olds to provisionally enroll in some states (page 24) is a step towards youth engagement. However, progressive movements often advocate for full voting rights at 16, so this policy falls short of broader youth participation goals.
Privacy and Data Handling (Partial Alignment): The documents mention redactions under Sections 47F and 47E(d) for personal information (page 1) and instruct staff not to retain images of EOI documents like driver's licenses, passports, or Medicare cards (page 80). This indicates some attention to data privacy, aligning with progressive calls for robust data protection. However, the extensive data sharing between the AEC and the Department of Home Affairs for citizenship verification (pages 12-13, 39-40) could be a point of concern regarding government data consolidation.

Social Justice (Inclusion/Accessibility):

Provisional Enrolment for New Citizens (Alignment): The mechanism for provisional enrolment (Sections 99A and 99B, pages 27-35) allows individuals who are applying for or are about to receive Australian citizenship to register to vote in a timely manner, especially around election periods. This proactive measure to integrate new citizens into the democratic process aligns strongly with progressive values of inclusion and active civic participation.
Acceptance of Expired EOI (Partial Alignment): The acceptance of expired driver's licenses, passports, and Medicare cards for EOI purposes (page 78) is a practical measure that reduces potential barriers for individuals who may not have current documentation, a small but positive step towards accessibility.
Acknowledgement of Country (Alignment): The repeated inclusion of an "Acknowledgement of Country" throughout the documents is a symbolic, yet important, gesture of respect for Australia's Traditional Owners (pages 2, 4, 9, 15, 18, 21, 26, 35, 42, 46, 53, 55, 57, 60, 63, 75). This aligns with progressive values of reconciliation, Indigenous rights, and cultural recognition.

Environmental Impact & Wealth Distribution & Corporate Influence:

These documents are administrative in nature, focusing solely on electoral enrolment processes. They do not contain information related to environmental impact, wealth distribution, or corporate influence.

In summary, while the AEC demonstrates some commitment to facilitating enrolment for new citizens and acknowledging Indigenous heritage, the core policies regarding who is eligible to vote, coupled with potentially burdensome administrative processes for verification, highlight significant areas where current government actions deviate from a more inclusive and less restrictive progressive vision of democratic participation. The most prominent deviation lies in the continued exclusion of long-term non-citizen residents from the electoral roll.

AI Generated

These Freedom of Information (FOI) documents primarily detail the Australian Electoral Commission's (AEC) stringent procedures for verifying electoral enrolment eligibility, with a strong emphasis on confirming citizenship and identity. From a politically right-leaning analyst's perspective, the revealed policies offer insights into how government actions align with or deviate from core conservative principles.

Economic Efficiency:
The documents show an attempt to leverage technology for efficiency, particularly through the use of internal databases (GENESIS, RMANS) and external systems like the Document Verification System (DVS) for Medicare cards. Automated system approvals for routine changes (e.g., change of address with clear EOI) demonstrate a move towards streamlining processes, which is economically efficient. However, the recurring need for manual intervention—such as for resolving "defects" or inconsistencies in citizenship and identity verification, or in cases where "Citizenship checks can often take a considerable amount of time for the AEC Service Centre and Home Affairs to investigate"—suggests significant ongoing administrative costs and potential inefficiencies in inter-agency handoffs. The detailed, multi-step processes for handling provisional enrolments and resolving various data mismatches indicate a system that, while thorough, may not always be optimally efficient in terms of labor and time.

Individual Liberty:
The AEC's emphasis on verifying identity and citizenship through multiple prescribed methods (driver's license, passport, citizenship certificate, Medicare card, or attestation) places a clear onus on the individual to prove their eligibility. This aligns with individual responsibility, but the complexity and potential for multiple interactions (phone calls, defect letters, follow-ups) could be seen as an administrative burden on citizens. On the positive side for individual liberty, the explicit instruction that staff are "not permitted to search the Australian Passport Database for this information" if a passport is not provided for Evidence of Identity purposes demonstrates a commendable restraint on government data access, respecting individual privacy. Furthermore, provisions for "provisional enrolment" for new citizens reflect an effort to facilitate participation by ensuring eligible individuals can vote once their citizenship is confirmed, balancing access with verification.

National Security (Electoral Integrity):
The core focus of these documents is to uphold the integrity of the electoral roll, a critical aspect of national security. The detailed, multi-layered verification processes, including cross-referencing with Department of Home Affairs citizenship databases, manual checks for inconsistencies, and clear disqualification criteria (e.g., temporary visa holders, unlawful non-citizens), are robust measures designed to prevent electoral fraud and ensure that only eligible citizens vote. The strict deadlines for providing evidence for provisional enrolments and the comprehensive rejection protocols underscore a firm commitment to maintaining a secure and legitimate electoral process. The integrity checks mentioned (e.g., "Integrity Check – Match by Citizen No") demonstrate active monitoring against discrepancies. This strong emphasis on security and integrity aligns directly with conservative principles of national security and the rule of law.

Fiscal Responsibility:
While some aspects, like the non-retention of EOI images (saving storage and data management costs) and automated approvals, reflect good fiscal practice, the sheer volume of manual interventions described could lead to significant recurrent administrative expenses. The acknowledgement that "Citizenship checks can often take a considerable amount of time" translates directly into higher labor costs for both the AEC and Home Affairs, potentially impacting overall fiscal responsibility. The extensive bureaucratic procedures for verifying even minor discrepancies or historical eligibility (e.g., for British Subjects) suggest a potentially costly administrative overhead in maintaining an exceptionally high standard of data accuracy.

Limited Government:
The AEC operates strictly within the confines of legislative mandates, with numerous references to specific sections of the Commonwealth Electoral Act (CEA). This adherence to statutory authority reflects a principle of limited government operating under the rule of law. The AEC's clear demarcation of responsibilities, particularly its reliance on the Department of Home Affairs for final citizenship determination, illustrates a functional limitation and deference to specialized agencies rather than an expansion of its own mandate. However, the sheer depth and detail of the processes for vetting every applicant, while necessary for electoral integrity, also illustrate the extensive reach of government bureaucracy into individual lives to confirm eligibility, which might be viewed as a deviation from a preference for minimal government intervention.

In summary, the documents reveal an AEC that is largely aligned with conservative principles through its rigorous pursuit of electoral integrity, aiming for efficiency through technology while grappling with the inherent administrative burden of comprehensive verification. The most significant alignment is seen in safeguarding national security through a robust electoral system. Deviations primarily arise from the potential for high administrative costs due to manual processes and the inherent bureaucratic complexity involved in such detailed government oversight.

AI Generated

The provided FOI documents reveal an Australian electoral system fraught with bureaucratic inefficiencies, a concerning lack of transparency, and potentially questionable decision-making that places an undue burden on citizens.

1. Bureaucratic Labyrinth and Inefficiency:
The detailed instructions for verifying citizenship and handling provisional enrolments expose a highly complex, multi-layered process. Staff are explicitly told they are "not expected to be citizenship experts," pushing complex queries to the "AEC Service Centre" and then the "Department of Home Affairs" for "investigation." This fragmented approach is admitted to "often take a considerable amount of time," leading to delays that could disenfranchise new citizens whose provisional votes might be "rejected" if administrative processing isn't completed by arbitrary deadlines. The continued reliance on "scanned microfiche/microfilm" from 1984 for "Eligible British Subjects" highlights a shocking failure to modernize record-keeping, ensuring a slow, archaic, and resource-intensive lookup process. The existence of two distinct and complex provisional enrolment pathways (Section 99A and 99B), with differing application windows and requirements, further complicates matters for new citizens.

2. Lack of Transparency and Opaque Processes:
Significant portions of key documents, such as "Roll Why – Citizenship pages" and "Roll How – Citizenship pages," have been redacted under "Section 47F, Section 47E(d)," limiting public understanding of the full operational details behind citizenship verification. While privacy is cited, the extensive and seemingly arbitrary application of these exemptions across operational procedures raises questions about what information the government deems too sensitive for public scrutiny. This lack of transparency inhibits independent oversight and accountability for electoral processes.

3. Administrative Burden and Potential Disenfranchisement:
The system places a substantial administrative burden on individuals. Applicants for provisional enrolment are required to adapt "ordinary application for enrolment" forms with manual amendments, rather than being provided with clear, purpose-built forms. The rigid rules frequently lead to application rejections for minor omissions or missed deadlines (e.g., "does not reply to a (PC.2) Additional Info letter within 28 days" or failing to provide a "receipted and date stamped copy of the application for citizenship"). The documents also highlight inconsistencies in accepted "Evidence of Identity" (EOI) numbers for citizenship eligibility versus EOI purposes, creating unnecessary hurdles. Furthermore, the explicit warning that provisional votes might be "rejected" if not processed in time due to internal delays suggests that administrative inefficiencies directly jeopardize a citizen's fundamental right to vote.

4. Questionable Data Handling and System Fragmentation:
The acknowledgment of "data errors" like "Undo Acq Data Error" in the Home Affairs citizenship database, necessitating AEC workarounds, points to underlying issues with government data integrity and inter-agency data sharing. The instructions for handling EOI documents reveal a fragmented system where "multiple forms" of evidence require "multiple steps" and manual merging of "Input Work Items," indicating a lack of seamless digital integration. While "images of evidence of identity... should not be retained" for privacy reasons, this also means potentially useful verification data is discarded, demanding re-submission if issues arise later, potentially increasing administrative churn. The varied EOI requirements across states (e.g., Victoria's unique driver's license rule) also suggest a lack of national harmonization, adding complexity and confusion.

In essence, these documents reveal an AEC operating with an outdated, overly complex, and often opaque system that prioritizes bureaucratic adherence over citizen convenience, potentially hindering the fundamental right to vote through administrative attrition and systemic inefficiencies.

AI Generated

These FOI documents highlight the Australian government's comprehensive and meticulously managed processes for electoral enrolment, underscoring its commitment to effective governance, national security, and public participation in democracy. The details within reflect a robust system designed to ensure every eligible citizen can exercise their right to vote, while simultaneously safeguarding the integrity of the electoral roll.

The documents demonstrate the government's thorough approach to citizenship verification, a critical aspect of maintaining an accurate and secure electoral system. Through advanced systems like GENESIS and RMANS, coupled with diligent manual review and direct engagement with applicants via tools like the Citizenship Questionnaire, the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) ensures that eligibility is meticulously established. Collaborative efforts with the Department of Home Affairs further enhance this process, leveraging specialized expertise to resolve complex citizenship inquiries. Even in instances of data irregularities, the system's sophistication allows for accurate interpretation and resolution, ensuring that legitimate citizenship statuses are never compromised. The detailed notation system exemplifies a commitment to transparent and auditable record-keeping, a cornerstone of good governance.

Furthermore, the documents outline provisions for Eligible British Subjects, showcasing the government's careful stewardship of historical entitlements while adapting to evolving citizenship laws. Comprehensive guidelines ensure that individuals with long-standing connections to Australia, who were previously eligible, retain their enrolment rights, reflecting a fair and inclusive approach to electoral participation.

A testament to the government's forward-thinking and citizen-centric policies is the detailed framework for provisional enrolment under Sections 99A and 99B. These provisions empower individuals applying for or imminently receiving Australian citizenship to register for electoral enrolment, often before their citizenship ceremony. This proactive measure significantly enhances accessibility for new citizens, ensuring they can participate in federal elections without unnecessary delay. The precise timelines and coordination with preliminary scrutiny teams exemplify the government's dedication to seamless administrative processes that support both voter access and electoral integrity, particularly during high-pressure election periods.

Finally, the documents reveal the multi-faceted strategy for Evidence of Identity (EOI) verification, offering a range of accepted documents (driver's licenses, passports, Medicare cards, citizenship certificates) and the Person Confirming Identity (PCI) option. The use of both internal and secure external verification systems, such as the Document Verification System (DVS), illustrates the government's investment in secure, yet accessible, identity confirmation methods. While rigorous checks are in place to prevent fraud, the detailed guidance for resolving minor variances or issues demonstrates a practical and reasonable approach, ensuring that legitimate applications are not unduly hindered. The commitment to not retaining EOI images further underscores the government's dedication to protecting individual privacy.

In essence, these documents paint a picture of a government agency – the AEC – operating with exceptional diligence, leveraging technology and clear procedures, and collaborating across departments to serve the public effectively. Any complexities or challenges inherent in managing a national electoral roll are consistently met with robust processes and adaptive solutions, all designed to uphold democratic principles and ensure fair and accurate representation.

AI Generated

The provided FOI documents reveal a deeply flawed, opaque, and inefficient system for managing electoral enrolment, riddled with potential for administrative failure and citizen disenfranchisement. The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) appears to operate with a troubling combination of outdated technology, excessive bureaucracy, and a concerning lack of transparency.

1. Glaring Lack of Transparency and Concealment of Information:
The partial access granted to "Roll Why – Citizenship pages" and "Roll How – Citizenship pages" under "Section 47F, Section 47E(d)" is an immediate red flag. This selective release suggests a deliberate attempt to hide critical operational details that would likely expose further vulnerabilities, failures, or embarrassing inefficiencies within the AEC's core processes. The pervasive "s47F" markings throughout the document further underscore this alarming pattern of information suppression. What exactly is the AEC so desperate to conceal from public scrutiny?

2. Systemic Incompetence and Reliance on Antiquated Technology:
The documents paint a picture of an agency clinging to archaic systems and procedures:
* Microfiche/Microfilm Dependence: The continued reliance on "scanned microfiche / microfilm copy of the electoral roll" from 1984 (Page 20) is an astonishing admission of technological backwardness. This suggests an inability to properly digitize and integrate historical records, inevitably leading to errors, delays, and a fragile data infrastructure.
* "RMANS" and "GENESIS" Inconsistencies: The frequent switching between "GENESIS" and "RMANS" (e.g., Page 11, 39) indicates a fragmented IT environment, prone to data synchronization issues and operational friction. The explicit mention of "records that have been incorrectly entered" in RMANS (Page 11) directly points to abysmal data quality control within their primary systems.
* Manual Processes as Default: The repeated instruction for "manual decisions" (Pages 9, 13, 14, 79, 81, 85, 88, 90, 92, 95) and the admission that AEC staff are "not expected to be citizenship experts or authorities" (Pages 12, 20) expose a critical weakness. This over-reliance on fallible human discretion, rather than robust automated checks, creates significant opportunities for inconsistencies, errors, and potential bias in fundamental eligibility determinations.

3. Deliberate Obstruction and Burden on Citizens:
The AEC's procedures are designed to place an undue burden on applicants, rather than streamlining verification:
* Citizenship Questionnaire (Defect Letter): When internal checks fail, the default is to send a "Citizenship Questionnaire (Defect Letter)" (Page 9), shifting the responsibility for proving eligibility onto the applicant. The subsequent follow-up letter after "28 days" and a further "14 days" (Page 12) demonstrates a sluggish, drawn-out process that can easily lead to legitimate applications lapsing due to administrative delay or applicant oversight.
* Slow External Verification: "Citizenship checks can often take a considerable amount of time for the AEC Service Centre and Home Affairs to investigate" (Page 12) is a shocking admission that a core verification step is a known bottleneck, causing delays that could disenfranchise voters, especially close to an election.
* Passport Database Restrictions: The explicit directive that "staff are not permitted to search the Australian Passport Database" (Page 9) is an inexplicable bureaucratic hurdle. This self-imposed restriction prevents a quick, direct verification of a crucial identity document, forcing applicants through more cumbersome routes.
* Medicare Card "Exact Match" Fiasco: The requirement for an "EXACT match" for Medicare card details via the Document Verification System (DVS) (Pages 78, 86) is a recipe for arbitrary rejection. Minor typos, formatting differences, or name variations can inexplicably trigger "validation" failures, creating unnecessary barriers for valid applications.

4. Alarming Disregard for Record Integrity and Auditability:
Perhaps most damning is the AEC's policy on Evidence of Identity (EOI) images:
* Destruction of Evidence: "Images of evidence of identity i.e. drivers' licence, passport or Medicare card should not be retained. Images sent via email should not be uploaded to GENESIS and the email must be deleted from Outlook once the enrolment application has been actioned." (Page 80). Furthermore, "For images that are already in GENESIS... the Input Work Item page containing the image must be hidden." This is an egregious and highly suspicious practice. Actively destroying or hiding source documents vital for identity verification undermines the integrity of the electoral roll, hinders future audits, and raises serious questions about accountability, particularly in cases of dispute or suspected fraud. It creates an environment ripe for unchallengeable malfeasance.

5. Provisional Enrolment: A Path to Disenfranchisement:
The provisional enrolment process for new citizens is a punitive obstacle course:
* Unforgiving Deadlines: New citizens can cast a "declaration vote," but it will only be counted if they provide "evidence that they have become a citizen by the first Friday following polling day" (Page 28). This harsh, arbitrary deadline creates an unacceptable risk of disenfranchisement for individuals who become citizens just before or during an election and face administrative delays beyond their control. Applications "lapse" if this evidence is not received (Page 29).
* Deliberate Processing Delays: Provisional applications are "held as a pending enrolment until Australian citizenship has been granted" (Page 30), and "remain on the division’s homepage until the first Tuesday before polling day at which point processing... can begin" (Page 69). This policy ensures that applications sit untouched for weeks or months, creating a last-minute scramble and increasing the likelihood of errors or votes being rejected due to internal processing bottlenecks.
* "Rejected" Votes and Retroactive Processing: The explicit acknowledgement that declaration votes "will be rejected" if the elector is not on the "Notebook Roll at the time of processing" (Page 71), and then "must be re-processed" if the enrolment is later completed, is a shocking admission of operational failure. It means the system is designed to reject valid votes first and then require a cumbersome, error-prone manual re-evaluation, rather than ensuring votes are correctly processed from the outset. This highlights a fundamental disregard for the principle of every vote counting.

In conclusion, these FOI documents lay bare an AEC that is not merely inefficient, but actively undermines electoral integrity through opaque practices, reliance on outdated, error-prone systems, bureaucratic rigidity that burdens citizens, and a shameful policy of destroying vital identity verification records. The processes detailed are not merely suboptimal; they are an indictment of an agency failing in its fundamental duty to ensure a transparent, accessible, and robust electoral roll.

AI Generated

The provided documents detail the Australian Electoral Commission's (AEC) labyrinthine procedures for voter enrolment, focusing heavily on verifying citizenship and identity. Key elements include: an exhaustive, multi-tiered citizenship verification process involving internal databases (GENESIS, RMANS), questionnaires, and referrals to the Department of Home Affairs; specific eligibility criteria encompassing age, residency, and "Eligible British Subject" status; provisions for "provisional enrolment" for citizenship applicants around election periods; and rigid requirements for Evidence of Identity (EOI) including driver's licenses, passports, citizenship certificates, Medicare cards, or attestations from already-enrolled individuals (Person Confirming Identity - PCI). The documents also outline numerous internal bureaucratic steps for handling discrepancies, "defects," and manual overrides, emphasizing internal investigation before external referrals.

From an Objectivist perspective, these procedures embody a profound violation of individual rights, demonstrating bureaucratic overreach and a collectivist disregard for personal liberty and rational self-interest.

Primacy of Individual Rights & Rational Self-Interest:
The most glaring affront to individual rights is the compulsory nature of electoral enrolment for eligible citizens. This transforms a fundamental right – the right to vote, or to abstain – into an coercive obligation imposed by the state. A free individual, acting in their rational self-interest, should decide whether and how to engage with the political process; forced participation is an anathema to liberty. The very existence of a "non-voter response" process further illustrates the state's insistence on monitoring and enforcing this collective duty, rather than protecting an individual choice.

Bureaucratic Interference & Suppression of Personal Initiative:
The documents reveal an extensive, intricate bureaucracy that prioritizes its own procedural requirements over the individual's seamless exercise of their rights. The layers of verification for citizenship – requiring database searches, defect letters, follow-up questionnaires, telephone calls, and inter-departmental referrals – are an exorbitant and unnecessary burden. The statement, "The AEC and its staff are not expected to be citizenship experts or authorities" yet are tasked with such detailed investigation, highlights the inherent inefficiency and diffused responsibility of governmental control. This process, designed to catch potential fraud on the part of the individual, presumes guilt rather than respecting a citizen's claim. Similarly, the meticulous rules for Evidence of Identity, distinguishing between "Citizenship Evidence number" and "Stock Number" for EOI purposes, or the rigid requirements for Medicare card validation, create artificial hurdles. The explicit instruction to not retain images of EOI documents, despite receiving them, is pure administrative inefficiency, potentially requiring individuals to re-submit proof later. This labyrinthine system stifles personal initiative, discouraging individuals from engaging with the electoral process by making it an ordeal rather than a simple assertion of a right.

Dangers of Collectivism and Government Overreach:
The AEC's operations, as described, exemplify government overreach. The vast resources and manpower dedicated to this intricate verification and enforcement system are a direct drain on the productive sector of society. This meticulous policing of voter eligibility reflects a collectivist mindset where the individual is subjected to extensive state scrutiny and control in the name of "integrity" (a collective good), rather than relying on individual responsibility and consequences for fraud. Furthermore, the provisions for provisional enrolment, while seemingly offering flexibility, are still encased in strict deadlines, specific forms, and an additional bureaucratic layer of verification (e.g., citizenship ceremony dates and evidence submission by "the first Friday after polling day"). Such a system, far from promoting individual liberty, creates an administrative leviathan that dictates the terms of engagement, imposing unnecessary delays and complexities on those who seek to participate in civic life.

In essence, these documents paint a picture of a bureaucratic apparatus that, under the guise of electoral integrity, actively impedes individual liberty through compulsory actions, excessive verification, and burdensome procedural requirements, demonstrating a fundamental misunderstanding of the relationship between the individual and the state in a truly free society.

AI Generated

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Policy

AEC Learning

Procedures         

See Also...

















Adoptions or No Claim Provided

Australian Citizen by Birth

Born on Norfolk Island or Papua New Guinea

Citizen by Grant

Citizenship Enquiries

Commonwealth Countries for Establishing British Subject

Status

Eligible British Subject

Ineligible Applicants

Acknowledgement of Country

The AEC acknowledges the Traditional Owners of country throughout Australia and recognises their continuing connection to land, waters, culture

and community.

We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

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Acknowledgement of Country

The AEC acknowledges the Traditional Owners of country throughout Australia and recognises their continuing connection to land, waters, culture

and community.

We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

            


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If a match cannot be found, the user should contact the

applicant by telephone to seek additional information. If

additional information is provided, search the Citizenship

database in GENESIS again. If no contact can be made,

additional information is not provided or if a match cannot be

made, the Citizenship Questionnaire (Defect Letter) should be

sent.

If the Citizenship Questionnaire is returned, conduct further

citizenship searches in GENESIS. If a match still cannot be

made, or the questionnaire is not returned, request a

citizenship check in accordance with the process outlined in

the Citizenship Enquiries Roll-How page. The appropriate

decision should be made upon the outcome of the citizenship

check.

Note: If a current Australian Passport has been included on

the enrolment application for Evidence of Identity purposes,

the passport can be used as Evidence of Citizenship. If a

passport has not been provided, staff are not permitted to

search the Australian Passport Database for this information.

Using a passport as evidence of citizenship requires a manual

decision to be made.

Policy

Procedures     

Learning

Acknowledgement of Country

The AEC acknowledges the Traditional Owners of country throughout Australia and recognises their continuing connection to land, waters, culture
and community.

We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

            


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Note: There is one citizenship database search that can only

be conducted in RMANS. The search is conducted by

accessing the Immigration Enquiry screen in RMANS

(Main>Enrolment Processing>Electors>Elector

Enquiries>Immigration Enquiry), and placing the number 0

only in the surname field. The results of this search are

records that have been incorrectly entered, and there is little

information to confirm that the record belongs to the

applicant. If the incorrectly entered record is confirmed as the

applicant’s, use the Citizenship Number in the RMANS screen

to conduct a Citizenship Search from the Edit Application

screen in GENESIS, and then select the Match button.

Previous enrolment checks

Although GENESIS conducts previous enrolment history

checks during verification, there are times where an exact

match cannot be found. In these cases, GENESIS will advise

that potential matches have been found and need to be

confirmed manually.

If the match is not obvious use the Matched Client link (in the

Applicant tab) to view the elector's history. In the View Client

screen, the Citizenship tab will contain relevant information.

If additional citizenship information cannot be found on the

enrolment record, check the records to see if there has been a

change to the elector's name or a change in spelling. If a

change is found, use this information for further enquiries.

Previous enrolment images

If an applicant has an enrolment history, the images of

previous applications can provide information that was not

entered into the roll management system.

Check the images to see if the applicant previously gave a

former name, additional name or citizenship certificate

number. This information can then be used to conduct further

checks in GENESIS.

Telephone contact

If, after editing available information and checking both the

elector’s previous enrolment records and images, the

applicant’s citizenship cannot be confirmed, contact should

be made via telephone.

When speaking to the applicant, the following questions can

lead to a positive match on the citizenship database:

Confirm country of birth

Name(s) when citizenship was granted

Year citizenship was granted

Age when citizenship was granted

Parents / spouse / sibling names and dates of birth and

Australian passport number.

Searches, as described in the 'Queries using the information'

section, can be conducted whilst on the telephone to the

applicant or notes can be made and searches conducted at a

later time. It is important that a Note be added to the

application in GENESIS regarding the information that lead to

the match (e.g. ’Citizenship match made on previous name as

advised by applicant’).


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If a match is still unable to be made, or contact cannot be

made, the Citizenship Questionnaire (Defect Letter) should be

sent to the applicant.

Citizenship questionnaire

To protect the integrity of the enrolment process, all requests

for information must be in writing.  The exception to this are

requests that are part of basic investigations, including

telephone enquiries, RMANS elector enquiries, Citizenship

database searches, or searches for enrolment applications in

the Imaging system.

If further investigations are needed, send the Citizenship

Questionnaire (Defect Letter) from GENESIS, together with a

reply paid envelope to the elector.

If there is no reply after 28 days, GENESIS will create an alert

to send the Citizenship Questionnaire (Follow-up) letter from

the system, which is to be returned within 14 days.

If a reply is received, use the information on the Citizenship

Questionnaire to make the eligibility decision.

If a reply is not received, or the information contained in the

Citizenship Questionnaire does not lead to eligibility being

determined (and the operator has confirmed the enrolment

application cannot be downgraded) a citizenship check

(Citizenship Check) enquiry request must be raised with the

AEC Service Centre as outlined below.

Note: The AEC and its staff are not expected to be citizenship

experts or authorities. Before any application is rejected on

citizenship grounds, a citizenship check should be completed.

Citizenship Check enquiries

Citizenship enquiries that cannot be resolved internally must

be sent by the AEC Service Centre to the Department

of Home Affairs for investigation.

Staff should ensure that all avenues of investigation have

been exhausted before requesting a citizenship check to the

AEC Service Centre. The purpose of this is two-fold:

a) Citizenship checks can often take a considerable amount of

time for the AEC Service Centre and Home Affairs to

investigate; and

b) It also ensures that all relevant information can be included

in the Citizenship Check Request Form if it is required.

How to request a citizenship check

For citizenship checks, 'Log a Request' with the AEC Service

Centre and then select 'Citizenship Check' from the drop

down menu to bring up the Citizenship Check Request Form.

The following details must be provided to the AEC Service

Centre when requesting a citizenship check:

Elector's full name

Date of birth

Gender

Country of birth

Fields that are mandatory in the form but information has not

been sourced should have 'Not Provided' entered in that field.


--- Page 13 ---

Note: Citizenship numbers will be 11 digits long e.g.

01785500966. Numbers with alpha characters at the

beginning are stock numbers and are not citizenship numbers

e.g. ACC1445385. If required, contact the elector for the

citizenship number.

Once the citizenship check request has been submitted, the

application should be placed on ‘Hold’ in GENESIS and a Note

should be added to the application.

The AEC Service Desk will advise of the outcome of the

investigation.

Once the citizenship check results are received from the AEC

Service Desk, the operator should use the information

to determine the applicant’s citizenship eligibility.

If staff are satisfied that the person is eligible as a citizen or is

entitled as an eligible British Subject, process the application.

If staff are unable to determine that the applicant is an

Australian citizen or an eligible British Subject follow the

procedures in Ineligible Applicants.

Close of Rolls: Citizenship

Enquiries

If replies to citizenship queries arrive after the close of rolls,

see Replies Received to Pending Enrolment Queries.

If a reply to a citizenship query is not received by close of

rolls, the applicant’s name must not be added to the roll until

their citizenship is verified.

See also: No Reply to Pending Enrolment Queries

Citizenship database irregularities

GENESIS will verify the data entered and advise the user if

investigation is required. 

Note that sometimes an elector's record in the Citizenship

database reveals that their citizenship status has changed

since they were verified in RMANS as having acquired

citizenship. Their status may change from "Acquired" or

"Approved" to "Undo Acq *Data Error*", "Undo Apr *Data

Error*", or "Undo Rvk *Data Error*". The change is the result of

the Department of Home Affairs amending a person's

citizenship record to correct an error in the person's details,

for example - an incorrect acquisition date. This does not

affect a person's Australian citizenship, and applications for

enrolment from people whose records show "Undo Acq *Data

Error*", "Undo Apr *Data Error*", or "Undo Rvk *Data Error*"

in the status field can be accepted on citizenship grounds.

If the status of "cessatn" shows in the database it means that

there is a cease date for the citizenship (e.g. it has been void

or removed).  This is grounds to start objection action (should

the elector be current on the roll) however further

investigation must be conducted prior to commencing

objection.

Citizenship manual decisions

If GENESIS is unable to make an automatic citizenship

decision, manual decisions must be made. Manual decisions

are often made after a Citizenship Questionnaire (Defect


--- Page 14 ---

Letter) or a Citizenship Check Enquiry is returned confirming

citizenship using a different type of evidence (Australian

Passport, parent’s citizenship certificate, etc.).

Care must be taken to complete the Decision fields correctly,

as based on the information selected a notation is created. To

ensure the correct information is selected, refer to Citizenship

Manual Decision Options Table (in GENESIS Online Help using

the following pathway: Applications Processing>Process

Application>Reviewing Defects>Citizenship Manual Decision

Options).

Citizenship notations

Elector notations are added to elector records to indicate how

citizenship status was verified if a match was unable to be

made against the citizenship database. These notations are

added to the enrolment record as a result of a manual

citizenship decision.  The following table explains what the

notations mean.

Notation

Indicates

AX

AC

Verified by matching with
citizenship data.  This
notation is used to indicate
that the elector provided
information indicating they
were a citizen before a
citizenship verification
facility was established.
 When citizenship data
became available, an
automated process was used
to match electors who had
provided an indication of
citizenship and, where a
match was found, an AX
notation was added and the
citizenship ID followed by a
V recorded in the Citizenship
ID field.

AEC verified. This notation is
used to indicate that the
elector was not found in the
citizenship database but
provided documentary
evidence of citizenship, for
example, a copy of their
citizenship certificate or
current Australian passport.
 Details of the document
sighted are recorded in the
notation.

If the elector is subsequently
matched with the citizenship
database, the AC notation is
retained, and the citizenship
ID is added with the letter V
in the Citizenship ID field
(this happens automatically
when the elector is
matched).

Note: This notation is also
used when the elector is
found in the citizenship
database with a status of
'Acquired', but no citizenship
ID is recorded in the
database.


--- Page 15 ---

AV

BS

NN

Immigration Department
verified.  This notation is
used to indicate that the
elector was not found in the
citizenship database but
confirmation that the person
is a citizen has been
provided by the Immigration
Department. If the
Immigration Department
provide a citizenship ID this
is recorded in the notation.

British subject.  Indicates
that the elector is a British
Subject and enrolment
eligibility has been
established.

Non-Naturalised. This
notation is added to the
deleted record where the
elector was objected from
the roll on the ground that
they were not a citizen or
eligible British subject.  The
NN notation alerts the
operator to verify citizenship
if the person subsequently
attempts to re-enrol.

Policy

Learning

Procedures 

Acknowledgement of Country

The AEC acknowledges the Traditional Owners of country throughout Australia and recognises their continuing connection to land, waters, culture

and community.

We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

            


--- Page 16 ---




--- Page 17 ---

Malaysia

Zambia (Republic of) -
(Northern Rhodesia until
1964)

Countries included in

Citizenship Regulation 5A

Antigua and Barbuda

Saint Lucia

Belize

St Vincent

(British Honduras until 1961)

Dominica (The
Commonwealth of)

Seychelles (Republic of)

Grenada

Kiribati

Solomon Islands

Tuvalu

(Gilbert Islands until 1979)

(Ellice Islands until 1978)

Maldives (Republic of)

Vanuatu (Republic of)

(New Hebrides until 1980)

Zimbabwe

(Rhodesia until 1910,
Southern Rhodesia 1910-
1964, Rhodesia 1965-
1978, Zimbabwe-Rhodesia
1979-1980)

Papua New Guinea
(Independent State of)

St Kits and Nevis

Note: Not all Commonwealth countries are listed in the table

above. Determining an elector’s British subject status can be

complex and some countries are only relevant for applicants

born between certain dates when specific legislation was in

effect. Before any application is rejected on citizenship

grounds, a CitCheck Enquiry must be completed.

Exceptions

Ireland is not a British Commonwealth country, but for the

purpose of determining enrolment eligibility it is treated as

one.

People born in South Africa and Pakistan were considered

eligible British Subjects only up until 1 December 1975

(though South Africa is currently a member of the

Commonwealth). People born in South Africa and Pakistan

were therefore not eligible British Subjects in 1985 and

are not eligible British Subjects for the purposes of enrolment.

Acquisition of Australian Citizenship by British Subjects

When the Nationality and Citizenship Act came into force on

26th January 1949, those British subjects who were not born

in Australia automatically became Australian citizens if they

had been ordinarily resident in Australia or New Guinea for

five years prior to that date, i.e. from 26th January 1944 to

25th January 1949.  However, those persons who were

admitted to Australia for temporary residence only were

excluded by the Act and did not become Australian citizens.


--- Page 18 ---

British subjects who arrived in Australia after 26th January

1944 did not become Australian citizens but they may acquire

this status by applying for registration as Australians.

Policy        

Procedures

AEC Learning

Acknowledgement of Country

The AEC acknowledges the Traditional Owners of country throughout Australia and recognises their continuing connection to land, waters, culture
and community.

We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

            


--- Page 19 ---




--- Page 20 ---

The AEC holds a scanned microfiche / microfilm copy of the

electoral roll on the 25 January 1984, meaning any British

Subject listed on that roll is eligible to remain enrolled or re-

enrol. The scanned microfiche is on the archive

microfilm drive, split by state / territory and further split into

individual PDF images, named after the first elector listed in

each file. The microfilm drive is accessed via Microfilm\1984

National (EBS) Reinstatement List

Where some Eligible British Subjects were incorrectly removed

from the electoral roll prior to 1984, they may have been

added to the national EBS 'List of Reinstatements' on the

archive microfilm drive. See Reinstatement of Eligible British

Subjects.

If the applicant is on the National Reinstatement List, the user

can make the Eligible British Subject decision in GENESIS and

approve the application.

The applicant's country of birth is

NOT included in the table of Commonwealth

Countries for Establishing British Subject

Status

Determining an elector’s eligible British subject status can be

complex and therefore not all Commonwealth countries are

included in the table, as further consideration may need to be

given to an individual’s personal circumstances.

If the applicant was born in a country not listed in the table

and a record cannot be found to confirm the applicant is an

Eligible British Subject, the user should perform a Citizenship

by Grant check. If this also provides negative results, the

applicant should be sent the Citizenship Questionnaire

(Defect) letter.

If the applicant does not return the questionnaire, or based

on the additional information provided in the questionnaire

you are still unable to determine their Australian citizenship or

British subject status, staff should request a citizenship check

via the AEC Service Desk. Staff should then make the

appropriate decision based on the results of the citizenship

check.

The AEC and its staff are not experts or authorities on

citizenship. Some British subjects automatically became

Australian citizens under the Nationality and Citizenship Act

1948. However, they were not issued citizenship certificates

and therefore may not be recorded as Australian citizens with

the Department of Home Affairs. These applicants may wish

to follow up their entitlement with the Department.

Before any application is rejected on citizenship grounds,

a citizenship check must be completed.

Policy        

Procedures 

Learning


--- Page 21 ---

Acknowledgement of Country

The AEC acknowledges the Traditional Owners of country throughout Australia and recognises their continuing connection to land, waters, culture

and community.

We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

            


--- Page 22 ---




--- Page 23 ---




--- Page 24 ---

Legislation in Victoria and WA allow people who are 17 years

old to enrol. In both Victoria and WA, 16 year olds who are

enrolled on the Commonwealth roll are added to the state roll

when they turn 17.

Enrolment is not compulsory for 16 or 17 year olds for all the

states and territories.

Refer to 16 and 17 Year Olds for further information.

Residential Requirements

Residential requirements differ for Queensland, where

residence is not required at an address for a month, but that

the individual has resided in the state electoral district for at

least the last month.

British Subject Arrangements

British subject arrangements are slightly different for some

states and territories. These are outlined in the table below:

When enrolling for

Commonwealth,
Tasmania, ACT & NT

New South Wales

Victoria

British subjects who are not
Australian citizens may re-
enrol for

Federal and Tasmanian state,
ACT or NT elections if they
were on a Commonwealth of
Australia electoral roll on 25
January 1984.

NSW State elections if they
were on a NSW State
electoral roll or a
Commonwealth of Australia
electoral roll on 25 January
1984.

Victorian State elections if
they were on either a
Victorian State or
Commonwealth of Australia
electoral roll at any time
between 26 October 1983
and 25 January 1984
inclusive.


--- Page 25 ---

Queensland

Western Australia

 South Australia

Queensland State elections if
they have lived in the
electoral district for at least
the last month; and

Are qualified to enrol
for Commonwealth
elections, or

Were entitled to be
enrolled on the
Queensland state
electoral roll on 31
December 1991.

Western Australian State
elections if they were on
either a Western Australian
State or Commonwealth of
Australia electoral roll at any
time between 26 October
1983 and 25 January 1984
inclusive.

South Australian State
elections if they were on the
SA State roll or
Commonwealth of Australia
roll within the period 26
October 1983 and 25 January
1984 inclusive.

Enrolment Disqualiﬁcations

A person is not entitled to:

Have their name placed on the electoral roll

Be kept on the roll or

Vote in any federal election

if they:

Hold a temporary visa under the Migration Act 1958
[s.93(7)(a) CEA]

Are an unlawful non-citizen under the Migration Act
1958 [s.93(7)(b) CEA]

Are of unsound mind such that they cannot understand
the nature and significance of enrolment and
voting [s.93(8)(a) CEA] or

Were convicted of treason or treachery and were not
pardoned [s.93(8)(c) CEA].

Note: Special category electors who are not entitled, in

respect of residence at an address, to be enrolled for a

subdivision, are not entitled to be enrolled until they are 18

years old. [s.100(1)(b) CEA] These include itinerants, prisoners,

Eligible Overseas Electors (EOEs), the spouse, de facto partner

or child of an EOE.


--- Page 26 ---

Note: Prisoners serving a sentence of imprisonment greater

than 3 years are entitled to be enrolled but they are not

entitled to vote at any House of Representatives or Senate

election. [s.93(8AA) CEA]  A sentence of imprisonment is

detention on a full-time basis. [s.4(1A) CEA]  

Policy        

Learning

Procedures           

Acknowledgement of Country

The AEC acknowledges the Traditional Owners of country throughout Australia and recognises their continuing connection to land, waters, culture

and community.

We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

            


--- Page 27 ---




--- Page 28 ---

Differences between the two

provisions

The table below highlights the differences between the two

provisions. Further information on each provision is outlined

on this page.

Provision

Section 99A (Non-

Section 99B

Election Period)

(Close of Roll)

A person

applied for

been advised that

who, if they

Australian

citizenship will be

were an

citizenship.

Australian

citizen, would

be eligible

for enrolment

may make an

application if

they have:

granted to them

at a citizenship

ceremony, to be

held between the

announcement of

a federal election

or the issue of the

writ and polling

day.

An

with the application

between the

application

for citizenship at

earlier of the

may be

lodged:

any time.

announcement or

the issue of writ

(whichever is

earlier), and 8pm

on close of rolls

day.

The applicant

an ordinary elector

a declaration

can vote as:

only after they

voter but, for their

have become a

vote to be

citizen, and their

counted they

application has

must provide

been processed as

evidence that they

an ordinary

enrolment

have become a

citizen by the first

application.  They

Friday following

can then vote as an

polling day.

ordinary elector if

this occurs on or

before close of rolls

for a particular

event.


--- Page 29 ---

To meet the

become a citizen

lodge their

deadline for

before the issue of

application for

the election,

the writ.

provisional

the applicant

must:

The

application

must be

supported

by: 

enrolment by the

close of rolls.

evidence of identity.

evidence of the

Immigration

Department's

notification but

does not require

evidence of

identity when

lodged.  

When processed,

the sighted

evidence of

citizenship

provides evidence

of identity.         

The

is refused

does not provide

application

citizenship.

evidence of

will lapse if

the applicant:

citizenship by the

first Friday

following polling

day.

Section 99A (Non-Election Period) -

Provisional Claim for Enrolment by

Applicant for Citizenship

A provisional claim for enrolment under section 99A (Non-

Election Period) may be made at any time and must be

submitted along with a person's application for citizenship

[s.99A(4)(c)(i) CEA]. However, the person cannot vote in a

federal election until they have become a citizen.

It is not compulsory to submit a provisional claim for

enrolment. As there is no specific enrolment form for this

provision, an ordinary enrolment application may be

submitted with the application for citizenship, see Receiving

Provisional Claims for Enrolment [s 99A] in the ESG.


--- Page 30 ---

Applications under Section 99A (Non-Election
Period)

Valid Applications



There is no approved form for making a provisional claim 

for enrolment. Applicants for citizenship who wish to make 

a provisional claim for enrolment under Section 99A of the 

CEA should use an ordinary application for enrolment. This 

form must be amended to show that the application is a 

provisional claim and in place of citizenship details the 

form must be amended to show the date the applicant 

lodged their application for Australian citizenship.

The application must be:

• Signed by the applicant in the signature box 

provided [s.99A(4)(b) CEA] The exception to this is 
people who cannot sign their name because 
of physical incapacity.

Note: Legal Power of Attorney is not an acceptable 

substitute for the applicant’s signature or mark.

• Accompanied by a copy of the claimant's 

application for Australian citizenship. [s.99A(4)(c) 
CEA]The copy of the application must contain an 
Immigration Department receipt or date stamp.

• Be supported by evidence of identity. [s.99A(4)(d) 

CEA]

If a provisional claim for enrolment is valid, do not process 

in RMANS, hold it as a pending enrolment until Australian 

citizenship has been granted to the applicant. Send the 

applicant a (PC.1) 'Acknowledgement Of Receipt' letter 

from the SLS.

Lodging Applications



Provisional claims for enrolment must be lodged together 

with the claimant's application for a certificate of 

Australian citizenship. [s.99A(4)(c)(i) CEA] 

Provisional claims can be submitted or forwarded 

electronically. [s.382(4) CEA]

Checking Citzenship



A decision to grant or refuse a person's application for 

Australian citizenship takes approximately four to six 

weeks. However, there may be varying periods of time 

before a decision is made and before a person can attend 

a citizenship ceremony and receive their Australian


--- Page 31 ---

citizenship certificate. Check the Citizenship database to 

establish if the applicant has attained Australian 

citizenship.

If a match is found on the Citizenship database and the 

person has been granted Australian citizenship, the 

provisional claim for enrolment is treated as an ordinary 

enrolment application and is processed in accordance with 

Roll-How. Applicants are issued a centrally produced 

acknowledgement.

Notifying Changes of Address and/or Name



Persons who have lodged a provisional claim for 

enrolment must lodge a new amended application for 

enrolment to advise of a change of address and/or 

name. [s.99A(2) CEA] 

The new enrolment application may be lodged with any 

Australian Electoral Officer or DRO. [s.99A(4)(d)(ii) CEA].

When to Reject Applications



Reject provisional claims for enrolment if the applicant:

• Is currently enrolled,

• Is not yet 16 years old [s.100 CEA], or

• Does not reply to a (PC.2) Additional Info letter 

within 28 days, or

• Does not provide an Immigration Department 

receipted and date stamped copy of the application 
for citizenship, or

• Is refused Australian citizenship.

Advising the Applicant of Rejected Application 

Advise the applicant of the rejection by sending:

• A (PC.3) Rejection letter from the SLS.

• Include a fresh application for electoral enrolment if 
the rejection was because the applicant is not yet 
16 years old.

State and Territory Legislation - Provisional
Claims for Enrolment by Applicant for
Citizenship



You must be aware of whether State/Territory provisions 

for special enrolment apply for provisional claims for 

enrolment by applicants for citizenship. If there are special 

requirements from State/Territory electoral authorities, the 

relevant State Office issues instructions.


--- Page 32 ---

Section 99B (Close of Roll) -

Provisional Enrolment by Applicant

for Citizenship at Close of Roll

A person who has received notification of their citizenship

ceremony and the ceremony falls between the public

announcement of a federal election or issue of the writ (earlier

of the two), and polling day may apply for

provisional enrolment under section 99B. The Provisional

Electoral Enrolment form for Potential New Citizens form will

be made available on the AEC website at this time and must

be received by the close of rolls.  

This type of provisional enrolment ensures that the person

will be entitled to vote, if their citizenship ceremony is held

after the rolls have closed but on or before polling day,

providing they supply evidence of citizenship by deadline.

Applications under Section 99B (Close of Roll)

Who is Provisional Enrolment available to under
Section 99B



Provisional enrolment is available to a person who:

• Will become an Australian citizen between the 

announcement of an election, or the issue of the 
writ for an election (whichever is earlier) 
and before polling day for that election [s.99B(1)(b) 
CEA]

• Is not enrolled [s.99B(1)(c) CEA]

• Is not qualified for enrolment but would be 

qualified if they were an Australian citizen. [s.99B(1)
(d) CEA]

Provisional enrolment by applicants for citizenship is not 

compulsory.

Valid Applications



Applications for provisional enrolment by potential new 

citizens must be made on the approved Provisional 

Electoral Enrolment for Potential New Citizens form 

[s.99B(2)(a) CEA].  

The application must be:


--- Page 33 ---

• Signed by the applicant. [s.99B(2)(b) CEA] The 

exception to this is people who cannot sign their 
name because of physical incapacity. [s.99B(3) 
CEA]  

Note: Legal Power of Attorney is not an acceptable 

substitute for the applicant’s signature or mark.

• Certified that the original notification (that the 

person will become an Australian citizen) has been 
sighted by an AEC officer who is satisfied that the 
notification relates to the person making the 
application. [s.99B(1)(b) & 99B(4)(a) CEA] or

• Certified that the original or a copy of the 

notification has been sighted by an authorised 
elector (who can be an AEC officer) who is satisfied 
that the notification relates to the person making 
the application. [s.99B(1)(b) & 99B(4)(b) CEA].

• Made between either the public announcement of 
the date of an election or the date of the issue of 
the writ for an election (whichever is earlier) and 
8pm on the day of close of rolls. [s.99B(2)(c) & 
s.155 CEA].

Note: An application dated before either the public 

announcement of the date of an election or the date of the 

issue of the writ for an election (whichever is earlier) 

should be followed up with the elector.

Note: The Electoral Enrolment form for Potential New 

Citizens has been approved for ordinary enrolment. If the 

client's citizenship ceremony is before the close of roll for 

the electoral event, the form can be used for ordinary 

enrolment (the client will need to be contacted and 

provide their citizenship certificate evidence number for 

citizenship eligibility and evidence of identity).

Deadline for Providing Evidence of Citizenship 

The deadline for providing evidence of Australian 

citizenship is close of business on the first Friday after 

polling day for the election for which the provisional 

enrolment application was lodged and, once provided 

applicants are enrolled as ordinary electors and are 

entitled to the usual elector entitlements. [s. 99B(6) CEA]

Lodging Applications



Provisional claims for enrolment can be lodged with any 

AEC office.

For receiving and handling provisional enrolment 

applications, refer to Provisional Enrolment Applications

Voting Entitlements for Provisional Applicants




--- Page 34 ---

Applicants for provisional enrolment under Section 99B are 

entitled to make a declaration vote for the election for 

which they have submitted a valid provisional enrolment 

application at any time during the voting period including 

polling day. However, the vote is excluded from further 

scrutiny if the person does not provide evidence of 

citizenship by the first Friday after the polling day for the 

election.

Citizenship Ceremony on Polling Day



Individuals enrolling under Section 99B that have been 

informed that their citizen ceremony will be conducted on 

the same day as polling day and have submitted a valid 

provisional enrolment application between the 

announcement of polling day and the close of rolls are 

able to vote on polling day before or after their citizenship 

ceremony.

When to Reject Applications



Reject applications for provisional enrolment if the 

applicant:

• Is currently enrolled [s.99B(1)(c) CEA]

• Is not yet 16 years old [s.100 CEA]

• Does not provide the AEC with evidence of their 

Australian citizenship, by the required 
deadline. Evidence of citizenship may be the 
original, or a copy of their Australian citizenship 
certificate

• Lodges an application for provisional enrolment 

outside of the prescribed lodgement period for 
provisional enrolment and is not a citizen.

• Does not reply to a (PC.2) Additional 

Information letter from the SLS by the day of the 
close of rolls, and the application:

• Was not in the approved form [s.99B(2)(a) 

CEA]

• Was not signed by the applicant or is signed 
by another person on behalf of the applicant 
(for example, using Power of Attorney 
[s.99B(2)(b) CEA]

• Did not contain the certification relating to 
the applicant's Immigration Department's 
notification of grant of Australian citizenship 
[s.99B(2)(d) CEA], or

• Was not completed using the instructions on 

the form.

Advising the Applicant of Rejected Application 


--- Page 35 ---

Advise the applicant of the rejection of their provisional 

enrolment by sending them a (PC.3) Rejection letter from 

the SLS.

State and Territory Legislation Provisional
Enrolment



You must be aware of whether state and territory 

provisions for provisional enrolment for applicants for 

citizenship apply. If there are special requirements from 

state or territory electoral authorities, the relevant State 

Office issues instructions.

Policy

Procedures

AEC Learning

Acknowledgement of Country

The AEC acknowledges the Traditional Owners of country throughout Australia and recognises their continuing connection to land, waters, culture

and community.

We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

            


--- Page 36 ---




--- Page 37 ---

            


--- Page 38 ---




--- Page 39 ---

In these cases, the client record will have a status of

‘Approved’ and will have been allocated a Citizenship ID.  If

that Citizenship ID has been noted on the claimant’s

enrolment form then the client’s status should be treated as

‘Acquired’ for enrolment purposes.  Home Affairs have

confirmed that the Citizenship ID is only provided to new

citizens when they receive their citizenship certificates at

citizenship ceremonies.

Incomplete citizenship records

Some records in the database are 'incomplete'. While this can

be caused by a number of factors, it does not impede our

ability to use the citizenship record to validate a person's

citizenship status. If an incomplete record has a status of

acquired or is approved with a Citizenship ID supplied on the

enrolment form, then it is valid for enrolment purposes.

GENESIS will require a comment when matching to an

Incomplete Citizenship Record.

Accessing the Database

GENESIS

RMANS

RMANS (Application Processing)







Home Affairs Number Type

The Immigration file contains all records relating to an

individual’s path through the process of gaining Australian

citizenship.  Different Home Affairs numbers are given to

applicants at various times throughout the citizenship

assessment process.  These numbers are not necessarily

unique to an individual. 

Home Affairs use four different number types in processing

claims for Australian citizenship. Any combination of these

numbers may be quoted by an elector claiming enrolment as

an Australian citizen by grant.

Evidence
Number

Old Citizen ID

This is an 11‑digit number given to each
document supplied by Home Affairs in
relation to a claim for citizenship (to be
referred to as Citizenship ID). It is unique
to the particular document but may not
be unique to a person. For instance, if a
single citizenship certificate was granted
for a whole family then the evidence
number for everyone in the family is the
same. 

This number was allocated to grants of
citizenship made up to 1998. This is a 10
—character number in the format —
AannnnnnC where AA = office that
processed the application, nnnnnn = 6
digit numeric, C = Check Character.

Stock Number

This is a unique number printed on the
back of the citizenship certificate and is
up to 10 characters.


--- Page 40 ---

Immigration
Client ID

This is a unique 11‑digit administrative
number given to all applicants for
Australian citizenship. It remains the
same throughout the citizenship
assessment process.  However, it is an
internal Home Affairs reference number
that may not necessarily be known to the
claimant.

Note: For citizenship verification purposes, the evidence

number will be used as the Citizenship ID. This is the number

that is printed on the front of the citizenship certificate and

the Home Affairs enrolment forms. Where one of the other

numbers is supplied, this may be used for a citizenship

enquiry, however, the evidence number is the number to be

recorded as the Citizenship ID against the enrolment record in

RMANS.

Status

The status of an applicant’s claim i.e. where the applicant is in

the citizenship process, can be one of the following:

Acquired

Not
Acquired

The applicant has been granted
citizenship.

The applicant is not a citizen.

Undo Aqu

The applicant is not a citizen.

Approved

Revoked

The applicant has been processed and
cleared to receive Australian citizenship
but may not yet have attended a
ceremony and been granted a certificate
(see 'General Business Rules' regarding
delays).

The applicant’s grant of citizenship has
been cancelled and is no longer entitled to
electoral enrolment OR the number has
been cancelled but citizenship still
granted. Further checks are required.

Undo

This does not affect a person's Australian

Revoked

citizenship. This is a result of citizenship

records being updated within the

immigration system. This status is

acceptable for enrolment purposes.  

Lost

The applicant is not a citizen.

Sighted

The applicant is a citizen.

Undo
Approval

The applicant may still be a citizen but
data might be treated as lost.

When an applicant's citizenship has a status other than

Approved or Acquired, GENESIS will display the following

defect.


--- Page 41 ---




--- Page 42 ---

Policy

Procedures

Learning

Acknowledgement of Country

The AEC acknowledges the Traditional Owners of country throughout Australia and recognises their continuing connection to land, waters, culture

and community.

We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

            


--- Page 43 ---




--- Page 44 ---

            


--- Page 45 ---




--- Page 46 ---

Processing an enrolment for an existing elector

and the matched enrolment indicates that the

elector is NOT a citizen by birth – ie the matched

enrolment has a Cit Id or a BS / AV / AC

notation.  The ‘Aus by Birth’ field will be

defaulted to ‘N’.

Processing an amendment or written advice.  The

COB may not be known so the ‘Aus by Birth?’

field will be set to a dash to indicate that the User

does not have to enter a Y or N.

The following business rules apply to the entry of COB
details:

1. The ‘Aus by Birth’ field must be:

Y or N if processing an enrolment application.
Y, N or a dash if processing an amendment or written
advice.

2. If processing an amendment or written advice, the
COB will only be validated if the defaulted value is
amended ie. the COB is changed.

3. If ‘Aus by Birth?’ is Y, then the ‘Cntry Birth’ field may
be blank ‘---‘ or a valid country code.  If blank or ‘--
-‘ then ‘AUS’ will be substituted.

4. If ‘Aus by Birth’ is N, then COB must be entered and

must be one of the following:

A valid country code
‘---‘ if a COB was not supplied on the enrolment form
‘UNK’ if a COB is on the enrolment form but there is
not matching code in the Country of Birth table.

5. The ‘Aus by Birth’ field cannot be Y if the enrolment
details indicate that the elector is NOT a citizen by
birth ie there is a Cit Id or a BS, AV or AC notation.

6. If the ‘Aus by Birth’ field is N the enrolment must

indicate that the elector is NOT a citizen by birth ie.
There must be a Cit Id or a BS, AV or AC notation.

Policy

Procedures   

AEC
Learning

Acknowledgement of Country

The AEC acknowledges the Traditional Owners of country throughout Australia and recognises their continuing connection to land, waters, culture
and community.

We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

            


--- Page 47 ---




--- Page 48 ---

s47F


--- Page 49 ---

Citizenship data on application & citizenship

data on existing client record match

When citizenship data provided on an application
matches the citizenship data on an existing client
record (current or deleted) no defect message will
display and the user can continue processing the
application.  

The citizenship data from the client record will display
against the new client record.  

No matched client record found

If the system is unable to match to a client:

User will receive a “defect” advising the client needs to
be matched before continuing

User should investigate and manually match the client
or confirm a new client

GENESIS will attempt to match citizenship details from
the existing client record or from the citizenship
database if the user confirmed the application as a new
client.

s47F


--- Page 50 ---




--- Page 51 ---




--- Page 52 ---




--- Page 53 ---

 Step 1  Step 2  Step 3  Step 4  Step 5  Step 6  Step 7  Step 8

Tick 'Citizen by Birth Claimed' and enter the Town of Birth 

from the application.

Acknowledgement of Country

The AEC acknowledges the Traditional Owners of country throughout Australia and recognises their continuing connection to land, waters, culture

and community.

We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

            


--- Page 54 ---




--- Page 55 ---

Enter the Home Affairs details in the screen (data should be

included in all three lines of the comments section) as

suggested below or include any other related information and

then press F5 to confirm the addition of the AV Notation.

The elector record will now display an AV notation.

Policy

Procedures 

Learning

Acknowledgement of Country

The AEC acknowledges the Traditional Owners of country throughout Australia and recognises their continuing connection to land, waters, culture
and community.

We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

            

s47Fs47F


--- Page 56 ---




--- Page 57 ---

Effective date of status

A statistical summary by area and totals by State/Territory is

also provided.

List Conﬁrmed Electors Not

Veriﬁed

A SO function. This facility produces a report listing those

electors with a citizenship ID who have not been verified

against the Home Affairs database (i.e. their citizenship status

is C-confirmed and not V-verified).

The report is by State/Territory and division, and can be run

for a detailed report or summary. The report shows the

following details: 

Elector ID

Elector name

Date of birth

Enrolment date

Elector Citizenship ID if it exists       

AC notation reason if it exists. 

A statistical summary by area and totals by State/Territory is

also provided.

Integrity Check – Match by Citizen

No

A SO function. This facility produces a report that can be used

to check the data integrity between the RMANS elector files

and the Home Affairs database. One report lists the confirmed

electors with a citizenship ID who have acquired citizenship

according to Home Affairs. The other report lists the verified

electors who have not acquired citizenship according to the

Home Affairs database. Inconsistent electors can have their

RMANS records updated by setting the 'Update Database'

field to 'Yes'.

Policy       

Procedures 

Learning

Acknowledgement of Country

The AEC acknowledges the Traditional Owners of country throughout Australia and recognises their continuing connection to land, waters, culture
and community.

We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

            


--- Page 58 ---




--- Page 59 ---

Press F6 to add an elector notation then press F2 to

add a notation Add the BS notation and any further

required information

Press F5 to confirm and the notations will be updated.

Press F4 to go to Cit Id field and then press End Key to

delete the field


--- Page 60 ---

The ‘V’ (or ‘C’) will still appear, press F1 to continue

The Cit Id field is now blank, press F1 to confirm

transaction entry (and the ‘V’ or ‘C’ will be removed)

Policy

Procedures 

AEC
Learning

Acknowledgement of Country

The AEC acknowledges the Traditional Owners of country throughout Australia and recognises their continuing connection to land, waters, culture

and community.

We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

            


--- Page 61 ---




--- Page 62 ---




--- Page 63 ---

Acknowledgement of Country

The AEC acknowledges the Traditional Owners of country throughout Australia and recognises their continuing connection to land, waters, culture

and community.

We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

            


--- Page 64 ---




--- Page 65 ---




--- Page 66 ---

The sections highlighted in red on this form are mandatory. If

any of these sections are empty or incomplete, the form is

incomplete. and cannot be processed.

Receipting provisional enrolment forms

After receiving a provisional enrolment form take the

following steps:

1. Upload the form using the GENESIS Input Work Item

Dropbox. (Provisional Enrolment forms can also be sent

via mail and scanned by Grace. Forms received this way

will be system categorised as a provisional new citizen

Input Work Item).

2. Categorise the Input Work Item as “Provisional new

citizen”.

3. Check the form for completeness (see above example).

If incomplete send the PC.2 Additional Information

letter from the Standard Letter System (SLS).

4. Check for a current enrolment for the applicant. If an

enrolment record exists, send PC.3 Rejection SLS letter.

5. If form is complete and applicant is not enrolled send

PC.1 Acknowledgement of Receipt letter and the Voting

Instructions for Provisional New Citizen email. The

highlighted fields, including the applicant's federal

division will need to be entered manually.

The Input Work Item will remain on the division’s homepage

as an “Election” Input Work Item until the elector attends their

citizenship ceremony, provides the AEC with evidence of their

citizenship and the enrolment is processed. 

SLS correspondence can be despatched by mail or email, and

a copy must be retained in Objective. When defect or reject

correspondence is despatched, the elector should also be

contacted by phone or email (if provided) to inform them of

the issue with their application due to the short deadline

involved. Before sending any SLS correspondence, ensure that

you have updated your event using the 'Change Event' button

on the SLS menu.


--- Page 67 ---

Provsional Enrolment forms are categorised as "Provisional New

Citizen"

Provisional Enrolment forms are listed under the "Election" section

Provisional Enrolment forms will be in the same list as PVAs and

other election materials

Voting instructions for provisional new

citizens

This email template must be used when sending the PC.1

acknowledgment of receipt letter. Before sending any SLS

correspondence, ensure that you have updated your event

using the 'Change Event' button on the SLS menu.

Email Template - Voting Instructions for
Potential New Citizens



After Close of Rolls

the AEC can no longer accept applications for Provisional

enrolment. Once clients attend their citizenship ceremony

they must provide the AEC with evidence of their new

citizenship. This evidence can come in the form of:

An email or letter containing a copy of their citizenship

certificate.

An Ordinary Enrolment application (providing their

Citizenship Evidence number).

An email or letter with an attachment proving they

attended their citizenship ceremony.

A verbal or unofficial written claim is not acceptable evidence

of citizenship for Provisional enrolment. While it is preferable

that the evidence include the client's citizenship evidence

number, it is not a requirement to accept it as valid

evidence or as EOI.


--- Page 68 ---

Electors have until the first Friday after polling day to return

evidence of their citizenship to the AEC. Daily checks of the

following areas must be conducted to check for evidence

being submitted:

"Find Client" in GENESIS (to check for enrolment
activity)

"Find Application" in GENESIS (to check for active
applications)

"Find Input Work item" in GENESIS (to check evidence
that has been dropboxed)

Electors receive a QR card at their citizenship ceremony that takes

them to the Online Enrolment System, meaning it is likely that many

of the enrolment forms received from new citizens will be done online.

For this reason, it is critical that the GENESIS client and application

search functions be used regularly to check for enrolment forms that

can be used as evidence of citizenship.

Other Areas

Divisional and state office inboxes

Divisional mailboxes

After polling day, checks of the Declaration Vote
Processing system in RMANS can be conducted to
check for electors who have provided citizenship details
on their declaration vote.

Where evidence is received, but it is not sufficient, the client

must be contacted (by phone or email, if available) and

advised of the evidence requirements.

Evidence not provided or not sufficient

If the elector does not return evidence by close of business on

the first Friday after Polling Day or the supplied evidence is

insufficient, their application for Provisional enrolment cannot

be processed and the PC.3 Rejection letter from the Standard

Letter System must be issued.

Receipting evidence of citizenship

As evidence of citizenship can take multiple forms there are

multiple steps that must be different depending on the

evidence received. 

Evidence Type

Action

Ordinary Enrolment

When an elector applying for

form (Online or

provisional enrolment submits an

Paper)

ordinary enrolment form, the

following steps must be taken:

Process the ordinary
enrolment application.

Merge the ordinary
enrolment application's IWI
with the provisional
enrolment IWI (see
instructions below)

If the application is online,
save the image of the OES
form from the application
and proceed with the
instructions below.


--- Page 69 ---

All other document
types

Upload the document using the

GENESIS Input Work Item Dropbox

and categorise it as “Provisional

new citizen” – Stay on this Input

Work Item

Edit the IWI and under the
details tab and press the
“Merge” button.

Enter the IWI reference
number for the applicant’s
Provisional enrolment IWI
and enter a note indicating
that the evidence has been
sighted and that the
enrolment is ready for
processing.

The Input Work Item will
now have both the
enrolment form and
evidence attached to it.

Edit the IWI and under the
details tab, press the “Add
new transaction number”
button to add a NIN to the
IWI.

Evidence of citizenship sent by mail

will likely appear as an

uncategorised IWI in GENESIS. In

this case, the document will not

need to be uploaded through the

dropbox, but is otherwise dealt

with as detailed in the steps above.

This Input work item will remain on the division’s homepage

until the first Tuesday before polling day at which point

processing for Provisional enrolment applications can begin.

Processing provisional enrolment

applications 

Once evidence of an elector’s citizenship is received and

linked to their provisional enrolment form, processing of

Provisional enrolment applications can begin on the last

Tuesday before polling day, Applications will be under the

“Election - Input Work Items requiring attention” on divisional

homepages.

 Step 1  Step 2  Step 3  Step 4  Step 5  Step 6  EOI override  Step 7  Step 8  Step 9  Step 10 

 Under “Input Work Items to be processed: Election” select a 

“Provisional new citizen” IWI. Press the “In progress” button 

and select subcategory “ready for processing” to lock the 

IWI.

Input Work Items to be processed: Election

Press the "In progress" button


--- Page 70 ---

Sub Status: Ready for processing

The applicant will be sent an acknowledgement confirming

their enrolment automatically, however, an attempt should

also be made to contact them to inform them that their

application has been processed, and to provide voting

information. Provisional electors complete a provisional

declaration envelope on polling day regardless of if their

enrolment has been completed yet and have until the first

Friday after polling day to return their evidence. All

Provisional enrolment applications must be processed by

Close of Business on this day.

Divisions must keep in close contact with their preliminary

scrutiny team to advise of any provisional enrolments

completed. If a declaration envelope enters preliminary

scrutiny and the provisional enrolment is not complete, it will

be rejected, and the supervisor will need to locate that

envelope to make a separate decision after the division has

advised them of a completed enrolment.

Receipting provisional enrolment

process flow


--- Page 71 ---

Timeline for processing

Provisional enrolment and

preliminary scrutiny

Provisionally enrolled electors are required to complete a

declaration envelope on polling day, which then goes

to preliminary scrutiny to be either admitted to the count or

rejected. For a provisionally enrolled elector's envelope to be

admitted, they must be on the Notebook Roll at the time of

processing or their vote will be rejected. For this reason,

timely processing of Provisional enrolment applications is

essential.

The divisional office must also regularly advise the preliminary

scrutiny supervisor of newly processed provisional enrolment

applications so the supervisor can check the rejected

envelopes and determine if any of the new provisional

electors have had their envelope rejected. If an elector

becomes provisionally enrolled after their declaration

envelope is rejected, the envelope must be re-processed. 

Frequently Asked Questions 



Who can witness a provisional enrolment form? 

Can the provisional enrolment form be used for
ordinary enrolment?



What counts as 'evidence' to support a
provisional enrolment?

When do I need to inform preliminary scrutiny
of processed enrolments?

What if an elector's citizenship ceremony is on
the day of Close of Rolls?

What if an elector has a citizenship ceremony
between Issue of Writ and Close of Rolls? Can't
they simply do an ordinary enrolment?









Processing Video: How to Receipt

a Provisional Enrolment form


--- Page 72 ---




--- Page 73 ---




--- Page 74 ---

2. A person who has lodged a provisional claim for

enrolment and has changed their details since applying

for provisional enrolment, must submit a new amended

application directly with the AEC, ss. 99A (2) and (4) (c)

(ii).

Provisional claims can be submitted or forwarded

electronically [s.382(4) CEA].

Claims for provisional enrolment under S.99A must be

uploaded through the Input Work Item Dropbox and

categorised as "Potential New Citizen". The form must then be

checked to ensure all required information has been supplied.

Checking the form

Except for citizenship details, provisional claims for

enrolment must provide the details required on the

ordinary enrolment application including evidence of

identity and be accompanied by a copy of the

claimant's application for Australian citizenship. 

Use the GENESIS 'Find Client' function to verify that the

applicant is not currently enrolled. If a current record is

found for the applicant the provisional claim for

enrolment must be rejected.

The form must be amended to show that the

application is a provisional claim and in place of

citizenship details, the form must show the date the

applicant lodged their application for Australian

citizenship.

If essential information is omitted and it can be
resolved by telephone or email, staff should contact the
applicant (where these details have been provided), to
try to resolve the omission. See: Enrolment information

When essential information is missing and the applicant
cannot be contacted or the information cannot be
obtained via direct contact, send the PC.2 Additional
Information letter and mark the Input Work Item
complete with a note indicating the application has
been defected.

If all essential information is present, note this on the Input

Work Item and put it on hold, awaiting processing once the

applicant becomes a citizen.

Rejecting Provisional Claims for Enrolment

[s.99A]

Reject provisional claims for enrolment if the applicant:

Is currently enrolled

Is not yet 16 years old [s.100 CEA]; or

Does not reply to a (PC.2) Additional Info letter within

28 days; or

Does not provide a Department of Home

Affairs receipted and date stamped copy of the

application for citizenship; or

Is refused Australian citizenship.

To advise the applicant of the rejection, send the PC.3

Rejection letter through the SLS. If the application is being

rejected due to the applicant not yet being 16 years old,

include a blank enrolment application for future use. 

Review of Decisions Provisional Claims for Enrolment

[s.99A]


--- Page 75 ---

Applicants can request the AEO review the decision

made by a delegate to reject a provisional claim for

enrolment.  The request for review must be lodged

within 28 days of notification of the decision [s.120

CEA].

Requests for review are processed as described

in Review of Decisions.

Policy   

Procedures

 Learning

Acknowledgement of Country

The AEC acknowledges the Traditional Owners of country throughout Australia and recognises their continuing connection to land, waters, culture
and community.

We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

            


--- Page 76 ---




--- Page 77 ---

Overview

An application for a new enrolment, re-enrolment or change

of name must use one of the five forms of evidence of

identity (EOI):

An Australian driver's licence,

An Australian passport,

An Australian citizenship certificate,

An Australian Medicare card, or

An attestation as to the individual's identity (Person
Confirming Identity)

For online applications, to increase accessibility, EOI can also

be used in place of the signature on a paper form. This is

referred to as a ‘signature equivalent’. Further information

about this is provided in the Which EOI is required and

when? table below.

This page provides information regarding GENESIS

processing. RMANS processing guidance is available on the

Evidence of Identity - RMANS processing guidance page. 

General Information 

EOI subsystem

The EOI subsystem is an internal system which holds driver’s

licence and passport records.

Searches using document or holder details are performed

through GENESIS ‘Find Evidence of Identity’ or the Application

EOI tab ‘EOI Search’. Both search types use the EOI

subsystem. 

The EOI subsystem must only be searched when a client has

provided a driver's licence or passport number in their current

application.

If the search is successful, the EOI subsystem will display a list

of results.

Each result displays an ‘AEC Status’ that indicates the action

required: 

Accept: the document may be matched and accepted
as EOI

Investigate: review the EOI document further. Follow-up
action or a manual override may be required.


--- Page 78 ---

Document Veriﬁcation System (DVS)

The Document Verification System (DVS) is an external system

used to verify Medicare card details. Due to strict security

requirements, searches cannot be performed in the DVS.

Instead, a check is performed with a yes / no result returned.

Checks performed through GENESIS ‘Validate Medicare card’

or the Application EOI tab, ‘Validate Medicare Card’ use the

DVS.  

All information fields: Card Number, IRN, Name Line and

Expiry Date, must be completed.

The Medicare card will only validate if the information

provided is an EXACT match to the Medicare card record held

in the DVS. Eg. if there is a typo or missing info (hyphen in a

name) from any field, it will not validate. 

Note: If the Medicare card is not found using the Medicare card

name, the system will use a version of the Applicant Name to

perform the DVS check. If the card still doesn’t pass DVS

validation, manual follow-up is required.

Expired EOI

Expired driver's licences, passports and Medicare cards are

acceptable.

Expired driver's licences and passports found in the EOI

database may be matched during application processing.


--- Page 79 ---

Expired Medicare cards will not be found during checks and

therefore will not pass validation. Refer to the Medicare card

section for processing guidance.

Revoked citizenship records can also be used for EOI

purposes. However, a citizenship check through the Service

Centre is required to determine whether a revoked record can

be used for citizenship eligibility.

Application and EOI document variances

When GENESIS is unable to match a provided EOI document,

a defect will appear. Defects guide enrolment processing and

require further investigation. However, not all defects need to

be resolved in order to approve the application. One example

is Medicare Card defect: “Applicants name on Medicare card

does not match enrolled and/or application names, accept

only if same client”. This defect can be accepted (with a note

added). 

Minor name and number variances are also acceptable. The

table below outlines some common examples of variances:

EOI
document 

Variance

Drivers
Licence

Applicants surname is
Smith, however, Drivers
Licence record displays
Brown. 

Drivers
Licence

Citizenship
certificate

Applicant provides
number
31234568456873,
however, drivers licence
record shows number as
57CL19. 31234568456873
is Card Number.

Applicant provides
citizenship certificate
number 1645229715,
however, citizenship
record shows number as
01645229715.

Action

Investigate
and accept if it
is determined
the EOI
belongs to the
applicant. The
system will
apply a 'Name
Variation'
reason.

Unacceptable
variance. Card
Numbers are
not accepted.

Acceptable for
EOI. Perform a
manual EOI
search, once
matched - the
system will
apply a
'Number
Variation'
reason.


--- Page 80 ---

Medicare
card

Applicants name is
Samantha Josephine
Clare Tester Brown. Name
line on Medicare card is
Samantha J C T Brown. 

Passport

Applicant provides
passport
number P1234568,
however, passport record
shows number as
PB123658.

Investigate
and accept if it
is determined
the EOI
belongs to the
applicant.
Accept EOI
defect and
add a
comment.

Accept if it is
determined
the EOI
belongs to the
applicant. The
system will
apply a
'Number
Variation'
reason.

When matching non-Medicare card EOI, GENESIS only looks

at Name(s), DoB, and document number. The gender and

address on an EOI document are not used as part of the

matching process but should be taken into account as

supporting evidence when manually matching.

AEC staff making Person Conﬁrming Identity

(attestation) declarations

AEC staff are not required to attest to a person’s identity,

however, are permitted to attest to a person’s identity if

they have been provided with sufficient information to be

satisfied as to the applicant’s identity.

Signing the declaration as a person confirming identity is a

legal declaration on an approved commonwealth form and

will be included in the elector’s permanent record on the

electoral roll.

Retention of evidence of identity images

Images of evidence of identity i.e. drivers' licence, passport or

Medicare card should not be retained. Images sent via email

should not be uploaded to GENESIS and the email must be

deleted from Outlook once the enrolment application has

been actioned.

For images that are already in GENESIS e.g. scanned by our

scanning provider, the Input Work Item page containing the

image must be hidden using the ‘Edit Pages’ feature.


--- Page 81 ---

GENESIS system approvals

GENESIS system approvals include change of address

applications which have a driver's licence, passport, Medicare

card or citizenship evidence number.

Where these applications have no defects (EOI or other), they

will be approved by the system and will not appear on

homepages for user review or approval.

Drivers Licence and Passport

When processing an enrolment application in GENESIS, and

the applicant’s provided drivers licence details are an exact

match to the record held in the EOI subsystem, the system will

match the licence. ‘Suppressed’ records will not be matched

by the system.

When there is not an exact match, a defect message will

appear in the Application Review panel.

The EOI must be reviewed and/or investigated through the

Application EOI tab, ‘EOI Search’. When ‘EOI Search’ is

selected, search criteria may be altered in the ‘Find Evidence

of Identity’ fields. The system may return potential matches

for further investigation. If there are no matches, select

'Change Criteria' to broaden the search.

When it is determined the EOI can be accepted, GENESIS will

allow a manual match, using the ‘Match’ button. The system

will apply a Manual Decision of ‘Number Variation’ or ‘Name

Variation’ based on the difference in the search criteria and

the EOI record.

A note must be added to the application to explain the

variation and match.

When a driver's licence or passport cannot be verified using

the EOI subsystem and all other attempts to be able to

approve the application are unsuccessful, an EOI check may

be submitted through the AEC Service Centre. The application

is to be placed on Hold: Internal – Awaiting Response. A

defect letter will be issued to the applicant if the EOI is still

unable to be verified.

A note on drivers licence

Where an Applicant has provided their Card Number, this

cannot be used to match their drivers licence. They must

provide their drivers licence number.


--- Page 82 ---




--- Page 83 ---

Note: staff must not search the citizenship or EOI databases to

obtain EOI information if it has not been provided by the

client. 

To use citizenship as EOI, an elector must include their correct

Citizenship Evidence number/Old Citizen ID on their

enrolment application. Unlike confirming citizenship eligibility,

information cannot be taken from previous enrolment records

for EOI purposes; the elector must supply the correct evidence

number. There are four numbers associated with citizenship

that can all be used to confirm citizenship eligibility. 

Used for

Eligibility  

Used for

EOI 

Citizenship Evidence

Y 

number 

Immigration ID 

Old Citizen ID 

Stock Number 

Y 

Y 

Y 

Y 

N 

Y 

N 

While all these numbers can be used to confirm citizenship

eligibility, only the Citizenship Evidence number and Old

Citizen ID can be used for EOI purposes as well. These

numbers are found on a citizenship certificate. 

While processing an enrolment application where an

Immigration ID or Stock Number has been provided, the

number can be used to establish eligibility, however, for EOI

purposes the following steps should be taken: 

1. Attempt to approve by downgrading the application to

Change of Address or Written Advice. 

2. Contact the applicant to obtain the Citizenship

Evidence number/Old Citizen ID or another form of

EOI.  

When investigating any defects, the same business rules used

for other forms of EOI apply: 

The user cannot search for alternative numbers if the

supplied number is invalid. 

Slight name and number variations may be accepted

with a manual decision; however, this is to be noted.


--- Page 84 ---




--- Page 85 ---

When a Citizenship Evidence number/Old Citizen ID is

provided as both evidence of eligibility and EOI, and the

details match exactly, a system match will occur. When a

system match does not occur, manual investigation is

required. This is indicated by an alert in the Application

Review panel. 

In the first instance, all searches of the Immigration database

must be made in the Application Citizenship tab. For guidance

on resolving citizenship defects, see Citizenship in Roll How.

System and manual decisions on the citizenship record made

in the Citizenship tab will carry over to the EOI tab, but

decisions made in the EOI tab will not carry over to the

Citizenship tab.  

If the applicant has supplied a valid Citizenship Evidence

number/Old Citizen ID, it must be accepted as EOI; whether

the elector is eligible for citizenship is a separate decision.  

If a Citizenship check is required for an elector's supplied

citizenship number, it should be submitted through the AEC

Service Centre using the Citizenship Check request type, not

the EOI request type. 

When the "Certificate same as citizenship tab" box is unticked the
standard citizenship details fields appear.

A citizenship defect indicating a system match cannot be achieved.

A citizenship record that has been manually accepted due to a

number variation; this manual decision will carry over to EOI.

listed. The certificate number entered in the citizenship tab has been

s47Fs47F


--- Page 86 ---

automatically carried over and is listed as the document number

here.

Electors born in Australia with proof of
citizenship 

People born in Australia can request proof of citizenship

under S37 of the Australian Citizenship Act 2007. This proof

can then be used as EOI.  

As the enrolment form fields do not allow for this situation,

the applicant must be contacted and asked to provide an

image of their proof of citizenship certificate.  

To accept the certificate as EOI, users must be satisfied of the

elector’s identity based on the image provided. Having a

proof of citizenship certificate does not generate a citizenship

record, so these numbers cannot be validated through

GENESIS.  

If the certificate is accepted as EOI, the details must be

entered in the Application, EOI tab, Citizenship panel.

Manually override citizenship as EOI, noting the image details

in the notes.  

The image of the certificate does not need to be retained for

the elector’s record. 

Medicare card

When using Medicare card as EOI an applicant must provide

the following details:

Medicare card number,

Individual Reference Number (IRN),

Full name as it appears on the Medicare card, and

Expiry date.

When Medicare card details are provided as part of an

enrolment application, the AEC’s enrolment systems use the

Document Verification System (DVS) to check whether it is

valid

The Medicare card will only pass validation if the information

provided is an EXACT match to the Medicare card record held

in the DVS. E.g. if there is a typo or information missing

(hyphen or apostrophe in a name) from any field, it will not be

validated.

When an enrolment application is verified, the system sends a

Medicare card check to the DVS. If an exact match using the

Medicare card Name is not found, the system will

automatically send another call using the Applicants/PCI

name.


--- Page 87 ---

Resolving Medicare card defects

During GENESIS enrolment processing, when there is an exact

match, a system match will occur and no further EOI action is

required. 

When there is not an exact match, the Medicare card will not

pass validation and further EOI action / investigation is

required. A defect message will appear in the Application

Review panel.

If the applicant is contacted to provide new Medicare card

details, this information should be entered in the Application

EOI tab, ‘Applicant Medicare Card’ panel. The check is then

performed using the ‘Validate Medicare Card’ button.

The table below identifies some of the alerts found when

validating a Medicare card, some of the possible explanations

for these alerts, and guidance on actions that may assist with

investigating and validating card details.

Validation /

Possible reason

Action required

Review alert

“The Medicare

The Medicare card

Medicare card is

Card

details are an

accepted as EOI.

information

exact match to the

provided has

Medicare card

passed the

record.

DVS

Validation”


--- Page 88 ---

“The Medicare

Medicare card

Card

details are not an

information

exact match to the

provided has

Medicare card

not passed the

record.

DVS

validation”

There may be a

typo in any of the

1224:

Card Number,

“Medicare

IRN, Name Line or

card

Expiry Date.

<number> not

found. Please

investigate.”

1. For an online
application:
correct any min
errors made by
the applicant.

2. For a ‘paper’

application: rev
data entry and
update.

3. Attempt to
approve by
downgrading t
application to
Change of
Address or
Written Advice.

4. Contact the

applicant to ve
the provided
details. New
information mu
be entered into
the EOI tab,
‘Applicant
Medicare Card’
fields. If the new
details validate
the EOI will be
accepted. Add 
note to the
application.

5. Contact the
applicant to
obtain another
acceptable type
EOI. New
information mu
be entered into
the appropriate
fields in the EO
tab. Add a note
the application

6. Contact the
applicant to
obtain an imag
of the Medicare
card.

A Manual

Decision: Overr

may be applied

the Medicare ca

is accepted as

EOI.  Add a not

the application.


--- Page 89 ---

Are for an expired
Medicare card.

Are not for a

green Medicare

card. Blue and

yellow Medicare

cards are issued to

non-citizens.

1. Attempt to
approve by
downgrading t
application to
Change of
Address or
Written Advice.

2. Contact the

applicant to ve
the provided
details. New
information mu
be entered into
the EOI tab,
‘Applicant
Medicare Card’
fields. If the new
details validate
the EOI will be
accepted. Add 
note to the
application.

3. Contact the
applicant to
obtain another
acceptable type
EOI. New
information mu
be entered into
the appropriate
fields in the EO
tab. Add a note
the application

4. Contact the
applicant to
obtain an imag
of the Medicare
card.

A Manual Decision:

Override may be app

if the Medicare card i

accepted as EOI.  Add

note to the applicatio

1. Contact the

applicant, if it is
established, the
are not a citizen
the application
cannot be
approved.

2. Defect the

application.


--- Page 90 ---

1413/1414:

An exact Medicare

Where you are satisfie

“Medicare

card match was

the found Medicare c

card details

found using the

is belongs to the

including

Applicant/PCI

Applicant / PCI, apply

Name "<Given

name, Card

Manual Decision in th

number, IRN and

EOI tab.

1. Select 'Name

Variation' as the
Manual Decisio
type dropdown

2. Enter a note

stating: "Exact
match using
applicant name
or "Exact match
using PCI name

After verifying, the

defect message will n

longer appear.

expiry.

When an exact
match is not found
using the Medicare
name line, the
Applicant/PCI
name is
automatically used
with the other
provided Medicare
card details. This is
particularly useful
when the
Applicant/PCI
name includes
middle name/s but
the provided
Medicare name
doesn’t. Medicare
card names often
use a middle
initial.   

Name>

<Family

Name>" was

not found.

However, "

<Given

Name>

<Initial>

<Family

Name>" was

found.

Investigate if a

Name

Override

decision

should be

made.”

Defect will

lead with

‘Applicant’ or

‘Person

Confirming

Identity’

depending on

the Medicare

Card check

performed.


--- Page 91 ---

1346:

There is a variance

Note: this is an

“Applicant

in the Medicare

acceptable defect.

name on

card name line/s,

Medicare card

applicant name or

matched clients

name.

does not

match

enrolled

and/or

application

names, accept

only if same

client”

Note: this is an

acceptable

defect.

1. If it is confirme
the Medicare c
details provided
are for the
applicant/matc
client, accept th
defect and a sh
comment.

2. If Medicare car
details are not 
applicant/matc
client: 

1. Attempt to
approve by
downgrading t
application to
Change of
Address or
Written Advice.

2. Contact the

applicant to ve
the provided
details. New
information mu
be entered into
the EOI tab,
‘Applicant
Medicare Card’
fields. If the new
details validate
the EOI will be
accepted. Add 
note to the
application.

3. Contact the
applicant to
obtain another
acceptable type
EOI. New
information mu
be entered into
the appropriate
fields in the EO
tab. Add a note
the application


--- Page 92 ---

“Medicare

The DVS cannot

card

verify the

<number> is

Medicare card

not valid for

details. This may

enrolment

purposes.”

Defect will
lead with
‘Applicant’ or
‘Person
Confirming
Identity’
depending on
the Medicare
Card check
performed

be due to security

restrictions.

Reasons include:

A
replacement
card has
been issued.

The card
has been
reported as
lost or
stolen.

The card
has been
flagged as
fraudulent.

The
customer
has recently
updated
their details
with
Services
Australia

1. Attempt to
approve by
downgrading t
application.

2. Contact the

applicant to ve
the provided
details. New
information mu
be entered into
the EOI tab,
‘Applicant
Medicare Card’
fields. If the new
details validate
the EOI will be
accepted. Add 
note to the
application.

3. Contact the
applicant to
obtain another
acceptable type
EOI. New
information mu
be entered into
the appropriate
fields in the EO
tab. Add a note
the application

4. Contact the
applicant to
obtain an imag
of the Medicare
card.

A Manual Decision:

Override may be app

if the Medicare card i

accepted as EOI.  Add

note to the applicatio


--- Page 93 ---

1342: “System

The connection to

error occurred

the DVS has been

while trying to

interrupted or is

match

down.

Medicare card.

Please re-

verify.”

“Medicare

card

<number> not

found. Please

investigate.”

1. Re-verify the

application. Thi
may have been
temporary
connection issu

2. Attempt to
approve by
downgrading t
application to
Change of
Address or
Written Advice.

3. Contact the
applicant to
obtain another
acceptable type
EOI. New
information mu
be entered into
the appropriate
fields in the EO
tab. Add a note
the application
a.  Contact 
applican
obtain an
image of
the
Medicare
card. A
Manual
Decision
Override
may be
applied i
the
Medicare
card is
accepted
EOI.  Add
note to t
applicatio


--- Page 94 ---

“Medicare

Card

<number> has

temporarily

been locked in

document

verification

service. Please

re-verify in

20mins.”

Defect will

lead with

‘Applicant’ or

‘Person

Confirming

Identity’

depending on

the Medicare

Card check

performed.

1412: "Change
of Address for
Victoria
cannot use
Passport,
Medicare or
Citizenship.
Refer Roll-
How for
further
information."

Due to too many
verification
attempts on the
same Medicare
Card number, the
DVS is preventing
further attempts
for 20 minutes.

1. Place applicatio

on Hold.

2. After 20 minute
processing of t
application may
recommence.

Note: Prior to
recommencing
processing, review aud
information to ensure
20minutes has passed
since the application w
last verified.

Refer to the Roll-How
Victoria: Change of
Address processing
page.

In Victoria, only

driver's licence is

currently accepted

as a signature

equivalent.

Application

cannot be

approved as a

Change of

Address.

Medicare card name not provided

If the Medicare card name is not provided (eg. missing

from a ‘paper’ form), the system will use a version of the

Applicant Name to perform the DVS check. If the card still

doesn’t pass DVS validation, manual follow-up is

required. 

Medicare card defects and alerts


--- Page 95 ---

Acceptable defect. Investigate, then accept and add a comment.

The connection to DVS may be down. Re-verify, further investigation

may be necessary.

Medicare card not found. Investigate further.

Victoria state legislation currently only accepts drivers licence as a

siganture equivalent.

An exact Medicare card match was found using the Applicant name,

Card number, IRN and expiry. Apply a manual EOI decision.

The DVS cannot verify the Medicare card details. This may be due to

security restrictions or a recent update to the clients personal details.

Medicare card details have passed validation - acceptable as EOI.

s47Fs47Fs47Fs47Fs47Fs47F


--- Page 96 ---

Medicare card details have not passed validation - unacceptable

EOI.

User alert when Medicare card is expired.

Too many verfication attempts have locked further calls for 20mins.

An exact Medicare card match was found using the PCI name, Card

number, IRN and expiry. Apply a manual EOI decision.

This error message appears when the Applicants EOI is incorrectly

entered in the Person Confirming Identity (PCI) panels/fields. To fix
this, remove the Applicants EOI from the PCI panels/fields and enter

in the Applicant EOI fields. You can then re-verify.

Person Conﬁrming Identity (PCI)

A person who is currently on the Commonwealth Electoral

Roll may confirm the identity of the applicant by providing

their details and signing the application on a paper form or

providing a signature equivalent for an online (OES)

application. 

The Person Confirming Identity (PCI) must provide their:

Name

Date of birth

Address

Signature or equivalent, and

s47Fs47Fs47Fs47Fs47F


--- Page 97 ---

The elector's family name (OES dual PCI form only)

While processing an enrolment application, the PCI must be

matched to their enrolment record and their signature or

equivalent must be accepted.

How PCI details are provided

The table below describes the different ways the Applicant

and PCI can provide their details and sign their declaration.

Original

How is the

How is the

GENESIS

form type

form

form

form type

completed?

received?

Ordinary
enrolment

Ordinary
enrolment

Applicant
sends form.
Form is then
loaded into
GENESIS as
an Input
Work Item.

Applicant
sends form.
Form is then
loaded into
GENESIS as
an Input
Work Item.

'Paper'
ordinary
enrolment
form

Applicant and
PCI complete
and physically
sign the same
form.

OES print
and sign
ordinary
enrolment
form

In the OES,

Applicant

completes

form but

chooses to

‘print form

and return

later.’

After printing,

Applicant and

PCI physically

sign the same

form.


--- Page 98 ---




--- Page 99 ---

While processing an enrolment application, the ‘Person

Confirming Identity Signed’ checkbox must be selected when

the PCI signature is provided.

Signature

The Person Confirming Identity Signed tick box, (located
in the Evidence of Identity panel) must be selected
when the PCI has signed their declaration.

If the PCI has not signed their declaration the tick box
must be left unselected.

Name and date of birth

The PCI name and date of birth are entered in the
Person Confirming Identity panel.

Address

The PCI’s address is entered in the Person Confirming
Identity Address panel.

Online Ordinary Enrolment submitted through
the OES

Traditionally, when an applicant chooses the EOI option to

have a person confirm their identity, this person must provide

a signature. 

To allow applications with PCI to be submitted electronically,

the OES asks the PCI to provide a driver's licence, passport,

Medicare Card or citizenship number instead of a signature.

This is referred to as a 'signature equivalent'. The PCI

signature equivalent and details can be provided:

Immediately, entered in the same OES form as the
Applicant, or

Via the OES dual PCI form accessed via a link sent to
them by the Applicant.

s47F


--- Page 100 ---

Detailed information about the OES and how a PCI provides

their personal details, declaration and signature equivalent is

available in the Online Enrolment Service (OES) page.

These OES applications appear in GENESIS as an Online

Ordinary Enrolment. These must be reviewed and processed

by users.

In the OES, when the applicant selects PCI as their EOI, they are asked
if their PCI is present or if they want to send a link to their PCI to

enter their details separately.

Multiple PCI details listed

In the Person Confirming Identity panel, there may be times

where additional PCI details are listed. This indicates the

Applicant sent the OES dual PCI form link to multiple people

and more than one person has completed it.

No action or review of these additional PCI details are

required - unless the original PCI cannot be accepted.

Detailed information about how to handle these applications

is provided in the resolving PCI defects Person Confirming

Identity - multiple PCI section below.

EOI tab, PCI panel: multiple PCI details will display in a list where

more than one PCI has completed the OES dual PCI form. Only one

PCI needs to match.

Homepage: New Online PCI arrived

Online Ordinary Enrolment applications will appear on the

homepage against 'New Online PCI arrived' when an Online

Ordinary Enrolment:

is currently being processed, or

it has already been defected

and a new OES dual PCI form is received.

These applications must be investigated and processed as

normal.


--- Page 101 ---




--- Page 102 ---

When a system client match has not occurred, client

investigation must be undertaken in the EOI tab, Person

Confirming Identity panel, by selecting the Match Person

Confirming Identity button.

The PCI name, date of birth and address are used to assist

with matching the PCI to their enrolment record, however,

these details do not need to be an exact match. This is to

allow for persons who have not updated their enrolled

address or name or for any minor differences.

Once the correct client is found, their record must be matched

by selecting the Match PCI button on the View Client screen.

Where the PCI is not valid (cannot be matched / not currently

enrolled) the Applicant can be contacted to obtain a valid EOI

document ie drivers licence/passport/Medicare

Card/Citizenship number). 

When a system PCI match has not occurred, defects will appear in the

Review panel.

A manual search of the electoral roll to find the PCI is done in the EOI

tab, Person Confirming Identity panel.

The PCI has been found and matched.

Person Conﬁrming Identity - multiple PCI


--- Page 103 ---




--- Page 104 ---

The address provided by the PCI does not need to match the

address on their enrolment record.

Defects which appear in the Application Review panel are

provided to assist with PCI client matching. PCI address

defects are acceptable and do not prevent the application

from being approved.

Review panel PCI address defect when the address provided was not

matched. This is an acceptable defect.

Review panel PCI address defect when the PCI has never been

enrolled at the provided address. This is an acceptable defect.

Review panel PCI address defect when the PCI has not provided an

address. This is an acceptable defect.

Person Conﬁrming Identity - signature defects (Ordinary

Enrolment)

For Ordinary Enrolment applications, when the PCI has

not signed the application, defects will appear in the

Application Review panel. 

When reviewing the Application source document, if the PCI

did sign the declaration, the 'Signed' check box (in the Person

Confirming Identity Signature panel) must be selected.

Two review panel defects will appear when the PCI has not signed

their declaration.

Edit Application: within the EOI tab, the Person Confirming Identity
Signature panel contains the 'Signed' check box.


--- Page 105 ---

View Application: In the Person Confirming Identity panel, there will
be a Yes against 'PCI Signed' when the checkbox is selected.

Person Conﬁrming Identity - signature equivalent

defects (Online Ordinary Enrolment)

For Online Ordinary Enrolment applications with PCI details,

the provided signature equivalent: driver’s licence, passport,

Medicare or citizenship number will appear across the

relevant Person Confirming Identity Signature Equivalent

panels.

When the system is unable to match the provided signature

equivalent, an investigation must be performed through the

Application EOI tab in the relevant Person Confirming Identity

signature equivalent panel. Detailed information about the

defects which may appear and how to resolve these are

provided in the relevant EOI section above.

When the PCI signature equivalent cannot be verified:

the application must be defected and correspondence
issued

contact must not be made with either the
applicant/elector or the PCI to obtain further
information about the PCI EOI

An EOI check can be submitted through the AEC
Service Centre if the PCI’s EOI cannot be verified.

Two review panel defects will appear when the PCI signature

equivalent has not matched.

EOI tab: The PCI signature equivalent will appear in the relevant PCI

signature equivalent panel. Manual investigation must occur within

the relevant panel using the search/validate button.


--- Page 106 ---

Which EOI is required and when? 

GENESIS application

What is the applicant

type

doing?

Ordinary Enrolment

When the applicant is:

Completed using

an approved enrolment

form eg. "Enrol to vote or

update your details",

Federal event Declaration

Vote and Pre-Poll Vote

Envelopes. 

Enrolling for the first time,

Wants to get back on the

roll (not currently enrolled)

or is

Changing their name,

EOI must be provided. All

approved types of EOI can

be used:

Australian Drivers
Licence number

Australian Passport
number

Citizenship number

Medicare card details

Person Confirming
Identity (PCI)

The applicant must also sign

the application.


--- Page 107 ---

Manual Change of

When the applicant is:

Address

When an Ordinary

Enrolment is downgraded

(using the Change Form

button) to a Change of

Address

currently enrolled and

changing their residential

or postal address only and

the Applicant signature is

missing, the application

can be approved when EOI

and date of birth are

provided. All following EOI

can be used*:

Australian Drivers
Licence number

Australian Passport
number

Citizenship number

Medicare card details 

* Victorian Manual Change

of Address: only

drivers' licences are

accepted.

Online Ordinary

 When the applicant is:

Enrolment

Completed using the

Online Enrolment Service

(OES) 

Enrolling for the first time,

Wants to get back on the

roll (not currently enrolled)

or is

Changing their name,

EOI must be provided. All

approved types of EOI can

be used:

Australian Drivers
Licence number

Australian Passport
number

Citizenship number

Medicare card details

Person Confirming
Identity (PCI)

The applicant must also sign

the application.


--- Page 108 ---

Online Change of

When the applicant is:

currently enrolled and

changing their residential

or postal address only the

application can be

approved when EOI is

provided. All following EOI

can be used*:

Australian Drivers
Licence number

Australian Passport
number

Citizenship number

Medicare card details 

* Victorian Online Change of

Address: only

drivers' licences are

accepted.

When the applicant is:

currently enrolled and

their old and new address

are in the same federal

division.

EOI is not required.

Address

Completed using the

Online Enrolment Service

(OES) 

Written Advice

When an Ordinary
Enrolment is
downgraded (using
the Change Form
button) to Written
Advice

Mail review
response

Postal Vote
Certificate

Written
correspondence eg.
Non-Voter
Response, general
correspondence etc.

Videos

These videos compliment the above instructions and

demonstrate how to resolve some Evidence of Identity

anomalies when processing enrolment applications in

GENESIS.

Resolving Evidence of Identity defects

This video demonstrates how to conduct some

investigations to assist with Evidence of Identity anomaly

processing.


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Adopve Mother Full Name

Adopve Father's Full Name

Given Name(s) (List all) on Entry to Australia

Adopve Mother's Date of Birth

DD/MM/YYYY

Adopve Father's Date of Birth

DD/MM/YYYY

Elector claims / Addional informaon

Does elector claim to be an Australian cizen by applicaon

No

Date the elector acquired Australian cizenship (if known)

DD/MM/YYYY

State or Territory they resided in when they applied for Australian Cizenship

Does elector claim not to be an Australian Cizen

No

Reason they believe they are not an Australian cizen

Addional Informaon

 Opons

Cizenship quesonnaire aached

No response received to cizenship quesonnaire



 Add aachments



Required informaon

Family Name Gender Given Names(s) Date of birth

Country of birth Opons

Save as Dra

Submit

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© AUSTRALIAN ELECTORAL COMMISSION 2023

AI Generated

AEC FOI Disclosure Log Archive

FOI Request LEX6047

FOI Request LEX6047, Schedule of Released Documents [PDF 95KB] (pdf)

LEX6047 documents [ZIP 12.7MB] (zip)

ZIP Contents

Combined documents.pdf (pdf)