The NSW Electoral Commissioner
The NSW Electoral Commissioner is a statutory office appointed by the Governor of New South Wales. The Electoral Commissioner is responsible for the management and operation of the NSW Electoral Commission staff agency.
The Electoral Commissioner administers the Parliamentary Electorates and Elections Act 1912, the Electoral Act 2017, a number of other Acts (or provisions of Acts) that relate voter enrolment and electoral rolls, and the conduct of elections.
Electoral Commissioners are appointed to terms up to ten years, and can be renewed once. The role is politically independent and must be entirely impartial and non-partisan.
In order to preserve the impartiality and integrity of both the role and the Electoral Commission, Electoral Commissioners do not report to the Government, but to a bi-partisan joint standing committee of Parliament. They cannot be removed from office without the approval of Parliament and, unlike most citizens of New South Wales, they are not required to vote.
Commissioner John Schmidt BA LLB MA
John Schmidt was appointed NSW Electoral Commissioner by the Governor of New South Wales and began his term on 8 August 2016. From 2009 to 2014 he was the Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Transactions Reports & Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC), after serving in senior NSW Government positions within the Department of Premier & Cabinet and the Department of Fair Trading.
John holds a Bachelor’s degree in Laws, and a Master’s degree in Arts. He was admitted as a solicitor in New South Wales in 1979.
From time to time the NSW Electoral Commissioner may make a statement about an issue if it is deemed appropriate and in the public interest.