{"id":"C1907L00097","name":"Custody and Destruction of Ballot-Papers Regulations","slug":"custody-and-destruction-of-ballot-papers-regulations","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"repealed","isInForce":false,"actNumber":"97 of 1907","makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":20323,"registerId":"commonwealth-C1907L00097-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-01","status":"Repealed","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Custody and Destruction of Ballot-Papers Regulations","content":"statutory rules.\n\n1907\\. No. 97.\n\nREGULATIONS UNDER THE REFERENDUM (CONSTITUTION ALTERATION) ACT 1906.\n\nI, THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL in and over the Commonwealth of Australia, acting with the advice of the Federal Executive Council, hereby make the following Regulations under the Referendum (Constitution Alteration) Act 1906 to come into operation forthwith, such Regulations to supersede Provisional Regulations issued on the 7th day of June, 1907, which are hereby repealed.\n\nDated this thirteenth day of September, One thousand nine hundred and seven.\n\nNORTHCOTE,\n\nGovernor-General.\n\nBy His Excellency’s Command,\n\nJ. H. KEATING,\n\nMinister of State for Home Affairs.\n\nREGULATIONS RELATING TO THE CUSTODY AND DESTRUCTION OF BALLOT-PAPERS.\n\nCustody of Ballot-papers.\n\n1. All ballot-papers used for voting at a referendum shall be preserved in the custody of the Commonwealth Electoral Officer for the State in which they were counted until the Commonwealth Electoral Officer is authorized to destroy them.\n\nDestruction of Ballot-papers.\n\n2. When a referendum can be no longer questioned, the Chief Electoral Officer for the Commonwealth may, by writing, authorize the destruction of the ballot-papers used for voting at the referendum.\n\nMethod of Destruction.\n\n3. The Commonwealth Electoral Officer for the State shall, on receipt of the authority for the destruction of the ballot-papers, destroy them by fire in the presence of a witness, and shall, in writing, inform the Chief Electoral Officer of their destruction.\n\nBy Authority: J. Kemp, Acting Government Printer, Melbourne.\n\nC.10649.—Price 3d.","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"kimi_summary":{"_metrics":{"model":"kimi-k2.5","source":"moonshot-batch","completionTokens":2107},"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":1,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"These appear to be the original regulations with a tightly focused scope limited to the administrative procedures for storing and destroying referendum ballot papers, showing no evidence of expansion beyond this specific purpose."},"complexity_factors":["Extremely short length (only 3 operative regulations)","No defined terms or interpretation section","Linear procedural structure without exceptions or nested conditions","No cross-references to other legislation except the enabling Act","Simple, everyday language throughout"],"plain_english_summary":"**What this does:** These regulations set out the rules for handling ballot papers after a constitutional referendum (a national vote on changing the Constitution).\n\n**Key rules:**\n*   **Safe keeping:** After votes are counted, all ballot papers must be stored securely by the Commonwealth Electoral Officer for each State.\n*   **When to destroy:** Once a referendum result can no longer be legally challenged (meaning no court disputes are possible), the Chief Electoral Officer for the Commonwealth can give written permission to destroy the ballots.\n*   **How to destroy:** The State Electoral Officer must burn the ballot papers with a witness present, then send written confirmation to the Chief Electoral Officer that the destruction is complete.\n\n**Who it affects:** Staff of the Australian Electoral Commission (and its predecessor offices) who manage referendum materials."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/custody-and-destruction-of-ballot-papers-regulations","history":"/api/acts/custody-and-destruction-of-ballot-papers-regulations/history","analysis":"/api/acts/custody-and-destruction-of-ballot-papers-regulations/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/custody-and-destruction-of-ballot-papers-regulations/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/custody-and-destruction-of-ballot-papers-regulations/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/custody-and-destruction-of-ballot-papers-regulations/documents"}}