Commonwealth act

Electoral Validating Act 1906

RepealedCTH

This Act has been repealed and is no longer in force. It is retained for historical reference.

Jurisdiction

Commonwealth

Act Number

12 of 1906

Collection

act

Plain English Summary

1/10 complexity

This is a short "fix-it" law from 1906.

What it does: In July 1906, the Governor-General announced the boundaries for New South Wales federal electorates (the geographic areas that elect Members of Parliament). Afterwards, doubts emerged about whether that announcement was legally valid. This law settles those doubts by declaring that the July 1906 announcement is legally sound, and the electoral boundaries it described are officially valid.

Who it affects: Voters and candidates in New South Wales federal elections from 1906 onwards (until the boundaries were later changed).

Why it matters: It prevented electoral chaos. Without this law, elections held under the disputed boundaries might have been challenged in court, potentially invalidating results or requiring fresh elections.

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Current sections

Direct links to the current provisions in Electoral Validating Act 1906.

Electoral Validating Act 1906

ELECTORAL VALIDATING.

No. 12 of 1906.

An Act to validate the Electoral Divisions of the State of New South Wales.

[Assented to 8th October, 1906.]

Preamble.

WHEREAS by a proclamation, made in pursuance of the Commonwealth Electoral Acts 1902-1905 and published in the Gazette on the seventeenth day of July One thousand nine hundred and six, the Governor-General declared the names and boundaries of the Electoral Divisions for the State of New South Wales:

And whereas doubts have arisen as to the validity of the said proclamation and it is desirable to set such doubts at rest:

Be it therefore enacted by the King’s Most Excellent Majesty, the Senate, and the House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Australia, as follows:—

Short title.

This Act may be cited as the Electoral Validating Act 1906.

Electoral Divisions of New South Wales.

The proclamation published in the Gazette on the seventeenth day of July One thousand nine hundred and six declaring the names and boundaries of the Electoral Divisions for the State of New South Wales shall be deemed to have been lawfully made, and the Electoral Divisions as therein set out shall, from the date of the publication of the said proclamation and until altered, he the Electoral Divisions for the State of New South Wales.

Source text

Sourced from the Federal Register of Legislation (legislation.gov.au), CC BY 4.0.

1 Electoral Validating Act 1906