Fair and Free Elections Act, 2026
Sponsored by Fraser, John · Second Reading Vote
- Gives the Chief Electoral Officer, not Cabinet, power to appoint returning officers for each electoral district
- Allows polling day to fall between the 36th and 42nd day after the writ, instead of a fixed date
- Removes previous powers to recommend or choose an alternate polling day
- Requires political ads generated wholly or partly by artificial intelligence to state this fact
- Bans knowingly transmitting or publishing false or misleading content on candidate eligibility, election dates, polling locations or results
- Lets the Chief Electoral Officer order removal or destruction of non-compliant transmissions or publications within 12 hours
- Non-compliance with such a removal direction can lead to an administrative monetary penalty