Share your views on this year’s federal election

The federal government’s Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters is now inviting submissions to its inquiry into the 2025 federal election.

In keeping with previous parliaments, the committee has been asked to undertake a review of the election, which took place on May 3.

“The inquiry plays an important role in ensuring the Australian public have their say in how their elections are run,” Bennelong federal member and committee chair Jerome Laxale said.

“We have one of the oldest and most respected democracies on earth. Keeping that standard requires ongoing scrutiny.”

He said matters widely reported during the 2025 election raised serious questions about safety, security and voter experience.

“Voters, volunteers and officials should never feel intimidated, harassed or have such an experience that they are discouraged from participating at future elections.”

The terms of reference of the inquiry call on the committee to focus its attention on the following emerging issues:

• Assessment and review of the purported increase in incidents of aggressive conduct, deliberate obstruction, and intimidating behaviour towards voters, political participants, volunteers, and Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) officials
• Potential reform of safety and security arrangements, including consideration of the powers, processes, and capacity of the AEC to manage and address increasingly threatening or disruptive behaviour
• Reforms to address the ongoing threats of interference in Australia’s electoral system, both foreign and domestic, and
• The composition of the parliament as a whole; including the length of the parliamentary term, the potential for fixed terms, and the number of elected representatives relative to the growth in population and the electorate.

The full terms of reference for the inquiry and are available on the inquiry webpage.

Submissions addressing any or all of the terms of reference are now invited ahead of the committee starting public hearings in mid-October.

The committee will further announce its program of public hearings as the inquiry progresses.

For more information, head to aph.gov.au/2025federalelection