'Be alert': roll with Newcastle voter details missing after council election

📷 A map of Ward 3. Picture by NSW Electoral Commission

A PRINTED roll containing the personal information of voters, including home addresses and birthdays, is missing after the Newcastle council elections.

The authorised roll used to mark off electors from Ward 3 remains unaccounted than more than three weeks after polls closed.

The data of 30,971 electors in City of Newcastle Ward 3 is printed on the missing roll, as at August 5, 2024.

It contains each voter's identification number, their full name, residential address, date of birth and sex.

For silent electors, their identification number, full name and sex is printed on the document.

The NSW Electoral Commission has urged those affected to be on alert for the possible misuse of their personal details.

A public announcement from the commission on Tuesday said those affected were being contacted directly by mail and informed of the actions they could take to protect themselves.

The NSW Electoral Commission was working with NSW Police and the NSW Privacy Commissioner.

The issue was discovered following the pack-down of a polling place after voting closed on election day, on September 14, when the printed rolls were collected for scanning and checking.

Acting NSW Electoral Commissioner Dr Matthew Phillips said all possible action was being taken to locate the missing roll.

He confirmed all ballot papers were secure.

"I apologise to the electors of Ward 3 of the City of Newcastle for the concern this will cause and encourage them to be alert to any potential misuse of their details," he said.

"This does not affect the validity of the City of Newcastle election results.

"All votes taken at the polling place where the roll was used were counted on election night and continued through the usual ballot tracking, counting and results processes."

Electors who did not cast a vote in Ward 3 will not be issued with a fine because the commission cannot check who was marked off at the polling place where the roll went missing.

Dr Phillips said the NSW Electoral Commission was investigating the incident and would review its processes for opportunities to strengthen security processes around the management of printed rolls.

The polling place at the centre of the investigation has not been made public.

There were 10,739 printed rolls distributed to 2099 venues for the 2024 local government elections.

All have been accounted for except the one in City of Newcastle Ward 3, which covers the New Lambton area.

Only enrolled electors and non-residential electors for Ward 3 of the City of Newcastle are listed on the printed roll.

People can make a complaint by emailing privacy.newcastle@elections.nsw.gov.au if they are not happy with the handling of the incident.

Anyone with information that may assist investigations has been urged to contact NSW Police on 4926 6599.