First Peoples’ Assembly Election

A new, independent office appointed by the Treaty Authority is now responsible for conducting the upcoming election of the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria (Assembly) and administering its electoral roll, to ensure its integrity and security.

This change will not significantly impact voters or enrolees on the electoral roll – but there are changes to the way your information is being held. 

What’s happening?

The Assembly is having their third election in early 2026, known as the ‘transitional election’. Voters will elect a new Assembly that will form one part of Gellung Warl. Gellung Warl is the permanent representative body of First Peoples in Victoria, established by the Statewide Treaty Act 2025 (Vic) (Statewide Treaty Act).

The Treaty Authority has appointed the Transitional Electoral Officer to conduct the transitional election and to administer the Assembly’s electoral roll. They will be supported by a team within the Treaty Authority known as the Office of the Transitional Election.

Once elected, the new Assembly will work to operationalise Gellung Warl, including by appointing new Members to Nyerna Yoorook Telkuna and Nginma Ngainga Wara. Together with the First Peoples’ Assembly these new Statewide Treaty bodies work together to implement Treaty in Victoria.

Why is this happening?

Under the Statewide Treaty Act, the Treaty Authority was required to appoint the independent Transitional Electoral Officer. This ensures the independence, security and integrity of the transitional election and the electoral roll.

Treaty is important business. The Office of the Transitional Election and the Treaty Authority are committed to working together with the Assembly on this significant milestone for First Peoples’ self-determination.

After this transitional election, the Treaty Authority must appoint a permanent Electoral Officer who will be responsible for supporting Assembly elections on an ongoing basis.

How does this affect you?

This change will not significantly impact how First Peoples vote or enrol on the Assembly electoral roll.

Previously, the Assembly’s electoral roll and other electoral functions (such as processing votes) were handled by the Assembly. Now these functions will be managed by the new, independent Office of the Transitional Election, led by the Transitional Electoral Officer. The Office of the Transitional Election is committed to maintaining a consistent experience for voters across elections.

One important change is that the Transitional Electoral Officer now holds the Assembly electoral roll (including all personal information on the electoral roll). This is because the Assembly was required by the Statewide Treaty Act to transfer the electoral roll to the Transitional Electoral Officer in early 2026. If you were already enrolled, you have recently received notice from the Assembly about this transfer.

The Transitional Electoral Officer is committed to holding personal information in accordance with all applicable privacy laws and recognises the individual and collective rights of First Peoples to control, own, access, and possess information and knowledge that is about, connected to or may affect them. If you want to know more about how the Transitional Electoral Officer handles your personal information you can find the Transitional Electoral Officer Privacy Policy here.

When will I be contacted by the Transitional Electoral Officer? 

If you are enrolled on the Assembly’s electoral roll, the Office of the Transitional Election may contact you in relation to your enrolment to ensure that it has accurate information, which helps the Office manage the electoral roll and run the transitional election. 

The team in the Office of the Transitional Election will contact enrolled voters with information about election timelines, the process of voting and to announce the results of the election. 

For more information, contact…

The Transitional Electoral Officer via [email protected]