Electoral roll
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The electoral roll is a list of the names and addresses of every registered voter in New South Wales.
Enrolment for state and local government elections is compulsory in New South Wales and you must keep your details up to date.
What are the different types of electoral rolls?
There are two types of electoral rolls. These are:
The residential rolls
The residential rolls for NSW local government elections are maintained by the NSW Electoral Commission with the assistance of the Australian Electoral Commission. A residential roll for each council area or ward will be prepared for the elections. Voting is compulsory for all electors on a residential roll.
The roll of non-residential electors and the roll of occupiers and ratepaying lessees
The General Manager of each council receives applications for and prepares the roll of non-resident owners of rateable land and roll of occupiers and rate-paying lessees.
The roll of non-resident owners of rateable land and roll of occupiers and rate-paying lessees lapse after each election (with the exception of the City of Sydney) and the General Manager of a council is to prepare a new roll of non-resident owners of rateable land and roll of occupiers and rate-paying lessees for the next election and keep it updated.
Can I be enrolled in more than one council?
Electors can enrol in more than one council area if they meet the criteria for inclusion on a roll of non-resident owners of rateable land or roll of occupiers and rate-paying lessees, but can only vote once within a council area.
Who has access to the electoral roll?
We provide a copy of the electoral roll on request to members of parliament, nominated electoral candidates, registered political parties and prescribed authorities.
The roll is also available for public inspection for electoral purposes at the NSW Electoral Commission office. When inspecting the roll you can make handwritten notes, but you are not allowed to copy or record the information in any other way.
Historic electoral rolls are held by the State Library of New South Wales.
We never provide enrolment information for commercial purposes, or to:
- people seeking to send unsolicited mail to the public
- solicitors seeking information in relation to court proceedings (unless requested by subpoena)
- people seeking to reconnect with an old acquaintance or a family member
- councils seeking to expand their mailing lists.
How can I inspect the electoral roll?
To inspect the electoral roll, you must complete an application form and provide photographic identification.
Application forms to inspect the electoral roll:
- Application to inspect the electoral roll for state districts (PDF 0.1MB)
- Application to inspect the electoral roll for council areas (PDF 0.1MB)
We recommend you read our Disclosure of enrolment, electoral and election information policy found in the policy library before you complete your application form.
To access electoral enrolment information in any other way, you must write a formal letter to the NSW Electoral Commissioner and explain the reason for your request.
We only grant access to electoral information where the public interest in doing so outweighs the public interest in protecting the privacy of the personal details of electors.
Is the electoral roll available online?
No. The electoral roll is not available online.
Can I buy the electoral roll?
No. The electoral roll is not available for sale. It is illegal to copy an electoral roll and heavy penalties apply for using electoral enrolment information for non-approved purposes.
How do I access the non-residential roll for local government elections?
Non-residential voters can enrol to vote in local government elections, and these electoral rolls are maintained by individual councils. The non-residential roll and the roll of occupiers and rate-paying lessees for local government election purposes are available for public inspection at the relevant council office.
The local government directory is available on the Office of Local Government website.