Freedom of information requests to the AEC

Your Rights

The FOI Act gives any person the right to:

• access copies of documents (except exempt documents) we hold
• ask for information we hold about you to be changed or annotated if it is incomplete, out of date, incorrect or misleading
• seek a review of our decision not to allow you access to a document or not to amend your personal record.

You can ask to see any document that we hold. We can refuse access to some documents, or parts of documents that are exempt. Exempt documents may include those relating to national security, documents containing material obtained in confidence and Cabinet documents, or other matters set out in the FOI Act.

Personal Information

If you are seeking your own personal information, you do not need to make an FOI request. Please see the Requesting your enrolment history and personal information page for more information.

If you would still like to make an FOI request, please attach a copy of your driver’s license or other identification, confirming your name, address and date of birth. The AEC does not provide personal information without proof of identity.

The AEC does not provide personal information, including personal information of deceased persons, to third parties. Access to personal information by third parties is only permitted when there is a specific authorisation that refers to the particular information in the possession of the AEC. Please see our Privacy Policy for more information.

How to make an FOI request to the AEC

Your request must:

• be in writing;
• state that the request is an application for the purposes of the FOI Act;
• provide information about the document(s) that you wish to access so that we can process your request; and
• provide an address for reply. It would be helpful to include a telephone number for contact purposes.

You can send your request:

If you need assistance to make an FOI request to the OAIC, please contact our enquiries line on 13 23 26 (charged at a cost similar to a local call).

Alternatively you may send your request using the online form:

Information Publication Scheme

As required by the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act), the AEC has an Information Publication Scheme (IPS) entry. The IPS aims to transform the freedom of information framework from one that responds to individual requests for access to documents to one that requires agencies to take a proactive approach to publishing information.

Freedom of Information Disclosure Log

The FOI disclosure log lists information the AEC has released in response to requests made under the FOI Act.