Page updated 9 April 2026
About the Special Inquiry
On 2 April 2025 WA Premier Roger Cook MLA announced that a Special Inquiry would be conducted into concerns raised by voters, candidates and Members of both the WA and Australian Parliaments about the staffing and management of polling booths for the 2025 WA State Election which was held on Saturday 8 March.
The Inquiry was conducted in accordance with section 24H of the Public Sector Management Act 1994 and has a Terms of Reference.
The Honourable Malcolm McCusker AC CVO KC was appointed to carry out the Special Inquiry.
The Special Inquiry report was tabled in the Parliament of Western Australia on 12 August 2025. The Inquirer made 24 recommendations concerning planning, management and resourcing of polling booths, ballot paper management, processing and counting of votes and the response on election day as issues arose.
Government Response and The WA Electoral Commission's Response
The State Government is supportive of the report's findings and has provided its response to the recommendations contained within it.
A formal response to the findings and recommendations of the Special Inquiry has been provided by the WA Electoral Commission (WAEC).
Read the WAEC response statement. To see the Government response and the WAEC response to each recommendation click here.
Expert Advisory Committee
The WAEC has established an Expert Advisory Committee to guide the implementation of the recommendations from the Special Inquiry. The Committee has met three times since November 2025 and is providing expert advice to the WAEC on priority reform areas and ensuring best practice in election delivery.
Chaired by the WA Electoral Commissioner, the Committee brings together experts in contemporary election management and financial reform including Joann Wilkie PSM, Under Treasurer for the Department of Treasury and Finance; Tom Rogers AO, former Australian Electoral Commissioner; and Professor Martin Drum, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Sciences, Law and Business at the University of Notre Dame.
