Australia
The earliest electoral rolls in Australia date from the 1840s, for the states of New South Wales and Victoria.
Compilation of an annual electoral roll for the Commonwealth of Australia commenced following federation in 1901. For some years afterwards, the individual States also compiled State electoral rolls, but (with the exception of Western Australia) these have been discontinued, and State and local elections are today based upon the Commonwealth electoral roll.
Enrolment is compulsory for all eligible voters (with the exception of Norfolk Island, where enrolment is voluntary). However, failure to enrol cannot be penalised, a protection offered by the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918. Voting is open to Australian citizens, and to British citizens who have been resident in Australia since before 1984 (about 9% of the electoral roll).
Currently the electoral roll merely records the name and address of the voter, although in previous years occupation was also recorded.
The register is compiled by the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) on a state/territory-wide basis, in alphabetical order of surname. Prior to 1988 electoral rolls were compiled by polling division and sub-division.
Until 1990, Lord Howe Island was recorded within the Sydney polling division.
The Cocos Islands and Christmas Island are today recorded on the Northern Territory roll.
Since 21 July 2004 the Australian electoral roll has not been sold in any format. It has not been produced in printed format since 1985, when it changed to publication on microfiche. Today it is only produced in an electronic format, and only for viewing at an AEC office. Each office holds a copy of the electoral roll for the entire country.
These arrangements try to strike a balance between privacy of the voters and the publication of the roll, which is integral to the conduct of free and fair elections, enabling participants to verify the openness and accountability of the electoral process and object to the enrolment of any elector.
Read more about this topic: Electoral Roll
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