Electoral rolls are a timely discussion topic since it is election day tomorrow in Australia! They can be a very helpful resource for finding ancestors, especially those who lived during the 20th-century. Other public sources may be thin on the ground during this era, therefore they can help to knock down a brick wall or two in your more recent family history.
What are electoral rolls?
Electoral rolls are lists of all those entitled to vote in elections, whether at federal, state or local level. It is currently a legal requirement for all Australian citizens over the age of 18 to be listed (with their current address) on the Australian electoral roll.
Who was allowed to enrol to vote and from when?
Timeline:
- 1902 – anyone over the age of 21, who were either born in Australia or had lived there for over 6 months and were subjects (naturalised by birth or subsequently) of the King. Exceptions: people of unsound mind, traitors, people serving a 12 month or longer sentence anywhere within the British Empire, and indigenous people of Australia, Asia, Africa or the Pacific Islands (except New Zealand).
- 1911 – enrolment became compulsory for eligible voters.
- 1918 – 1921 – added anyone who met the above requirements except for age but who had served in the armed forces.
- 1925 – added natives of British India.
- 1949 – added indigenous Australians who were on state rolls or had served/were serving in the armed forces.
- 1961 – added indigenous people of Africa and Pacific Islanders.
- 1962 – added all indigenous Australians over the age of 21. This was voluntary, but once enrolled it was compulsory to vote.
- 1973 – the voting age was reduced from 21 to 18.
- 1984 – all Australian citizens over 18 plus British subjects already on the electoral roll. Enrolment of indigenous Australians now also compulsory.
What is included on the rolls?
At the very least, you will find the person’s name, address and gender, along with that of any other people of voting age living at that address such as adult children. Depending on the year and the state, you may also find:
- occupation
- age
- whether their address is a residence, freehold or household (possibly with further details)
How are electoral rolls helpful?
Electoral rolls can be considered a form of census substitute, because of the household details (for the adult occupants) that they provide. They can be especially useful to find parents of an adult daughter because they often lived at home till they married. Find the daughter, and it is likely that the adults of the same surname listed above her at the same address are her parents. Of course, don’t accept this as gospel, as relationships are not specified in the roll. For example, she may be living with grandparents or uncles and aunts. Follow up your research using these names to verify the relationship. Perhaps take a look at newspapers as your next step.
By finding people in electoral rolls from various years, you can track their movement (or lack of it) around the country, which will help you to know what local sources to consult and from when.
You have an address, or series of addresses, for the family now. Why not put these into Google Maps and see if the house they lived in is still there and what it looks like now?
Fewer other sources for this time period are available compared to earlier centuries, so it’s an important part of 20th-century research to consider electoral rolls.
Limitations of the electoral rolls
- Coverage is incomplete, and coverage for the 19th-century electoral rolls of the individual colonies (now states) is particularly patchy.
- Children of the household are not listed unless they are over the voting age.
- Relationships between voters at the same address are not specified.
- Sections of the community were not able to enrol to vote (see timeline above). If you had an ancestor who was not a British Subject or was indigenous, they may well not have made it onto any electoral roll.
Where to find the rolls
Some are available online. If you have a subscription to Ancestry or Findmypast you can find some there (if you don’t have a subscription you may be able to access their library edition at your local library. Other useful websites containing links to electoral rolls are Coraweb and Cyndi’s List.
It is well worth visiting state libraries and archives as they generally have a broad range of electoral rolls. You will find it helpful to check their catalogue online before making the trip so you know what time periods and areas are covered.
If you are looking for a living relative, you can access the current electoral roll at any Australian Electoral Commission office. Please note, you cannot copy any image you see there electronically but may do so by hand.
I hope you have found this topic useful and are now ready to not only do your civic duty tomorrow but also explore electoral records to help expand your family tree!