Electoral Commissioner opens objections to One Nation renaming in Western Australia

The Electoral Commissioner of Western Australia has received an application to change the registered name of the political party Pauline Hanson’s One Nation to One Nation WA, with One Nation as the abbreviation to be used on ballot papers. The application, made under section 62G of the Electoral Act 1907, is published as notice EL401 in the Western Australian Government Gazette No. 127 of Tuesday, 6 October 2026. Any elector wishing to object has until Friday, 6 November 2026 to lodge a statement with the Commissioner.

The notice appears in the Electoral section of the gazette, at page 2262, and concerns the register of political parties kept by the Electoral Commissioner under section 62D of the Electoral Act 1907. That register records the names under which parties contest Western Australian elections, so an amendment to an entry determines how a party is identified on the ballot paper and in official electoral material.

The notice is signed by Dennis O’Reilly, Electoral Commissioner, and dated 6 October 2026. It states that the application was accompanied by the particulars required for a change of registered party name, including the proposed name, the ballot-paper abbreviation and the identity of the party’s secretary.

What the application proposes

The application sets out the following information:

• Name for the political party: One Nation WA
• Abbreviation of the political party name for use on ballot papers: One Nation
• Name and address of the secretary of the political party: Anne Ryan, 6/47 Mews Road, South Fremantle WA 6162

If accepted, the entry currently recorded as Pauline Hanson’s One Nation would be replaced by One Nation WA. The abbreviation One Nation is the form that would be printed on ballot papers, meaning voters would see the shorter label rather than the full registered name.

Who may object and on what grounds

Any elector who believes that the application does not comply with section 62K of the Electoral Act 1907, or that it should be refused under section 62J of that Act, is invited to submit a statement to the Electoral Commissioner by Friday, 6 November 2026. The statement must:

• set out in detail the grounds for the elector’s belief in respect of either ground;
• set out the elector’s enrolled address and postal address;
• be signed by the elector.

Where to lodge a statement

Written submissions are to be directed to the Assistant Director Regulation and Assurance, Western Australian Electoral Commission, GPO Box F316, Perth WA 6841, or sent by email to fad@waec.wa.gov.au. Any statement submitted will be available for public inspection, without fee, at the Western Australian Electoral Commission, Level 2, 66 St Georges Terrace, Perth WA 6000. Enquiries can be made to the Funding and Disclosure team by telephone on (08) 9214 0400 or by email at fad@waec.wa.gov.au.

The decision rests with the Electoral Commissioner, who must weigh the application against the requirements of the Electoral Act 1907 once the objection period closes. The outcome will determine the name under which the party appears on Western Australian ballot papers at the next election, and the 6 November 2026 deadline gives every enrolled elector a formal opportunity to be heard before that determination is made.

Source: Western Australian Government Gazette, No. 127, 6 October 2026, Electoral, p. 2262 (official reference: EL401).