| Founded | c. 2011 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Richard Kidd |
The Australian Election Company (AEC), also referred to as AustElect, is a private company which conducts Australian elections, including at the local government level.
The company has never conducted an election at a state or federal level, which are managed by state electoral commissions and the Australian Electoral Commission respectively.
History[edit]
The company was founded ahead of the 2012 New South Wales local elections, and conducted the elections for multiple councils instead of the New South Wales Electoral Commission. Despite a staff recommendation, Port Macquarie-Hastings Council opted not to use the company, partly because it had not conducted any elections in New South Wales before.[1][2]
The first election for Norfolk Island Regional Council in 2016 was conducted by the company, as was the election for the City of Maitland the following year.[3][4] The cancelled 2020 Norfolk Island local election was also scheduled to be held by the company.[5]
At the 2021 New South Wales local elections, both Fairfield City Council and Penrith City Council used the company's services.[6]
References[edit]
- ^ "Councils save money running their own elections". ABC News.
- ^ "Port Macquarie sticks with electoral commission". ABC News.
- ^ "Norfolk Island Regional Council" (PDF). Australian Election Company. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 October 2023.
- ^ "City of Maitland". ABC News.
- ^ "Candidate statement" (PDF). Australian Election Company.
- ^ "City of Penrith". ABC News.