Electoral Legislation Amendment (Voter Integrity) 2021

# Electoral Legislation Amendment (Voter Integrity) Bill 2021 ## What it does This bill introduces voter ID requirements for Australian federal elections and referendums. Before voting, you'd need to show an acceptable form of identification from a defined list. The bill amends the Commonwealth Electoral Act to set out what documents count as valid proof of identity. ## Why it matters The stated goal is to prevent electoral fraud by verifying voters are who they claim to be. If passed, it would change how you vote—you couldn't just show up at a polling booth without ID as you can now. ## Key details - **Acceptable ID includes**: driver's licences, passports, birth certificates, proof of age cards, bank statements from the last 12 months, and credit/debit cards from Australian financial institutions—plus various government ID cards - **When it kicks in**: The law would start on 1 January 2022 (or the day after Royal Assent, whichever is later) - **Who's affected**: Every voter in federal elections and referendums would need to provide ID at the ballot box, though the full voting rules aren't detailed in this excerpt

🔒 Voting closed — this bill has been decided by parliament