More than 10 per cent of Territorians are set to miss out on voting at next year's federal election, which has been described as a "national scandal and international disgrace" by one of the Territory's longest-serving politicians.

Key points: The electoral roll is missing 42 per cent of the Indigenous population

The electoral roll is missing 42 per cent of the Indigenous population The Australian Electoral Commission's Darwin office had staffing cut from 16 to three in 2017

The Australian Electoral Commission's Darwin office had staffing cut from 16 to three in 2017 The AEC says staff cuts have not reduced services

Most of the Territory's 26,000 unenrolled voters are in Labor veteran Warren Snowdon's seat of Lingiari, a vast electorate that encompasses 99.98 per cent of the NT.

He believed the situation stemmed from a 2017 federal government decision to reduce the Australian Electoral Commission's Darwin office from 16 staff to three, including axing a field enrolment program.

High-profile Country Liberal Party candidate Jacinta Price, who will vie for Mr Snowdon's seat at the next election, echoed his concerns.

"Yes, it is a concern and yes, I think more support around Indigenous in remote communities needs to be there so that people can vote, people understand they have the right to vote and are registered to vote and be part of a democratic process," Ms Price said.

"I'd see how that can have an impact certainly and I think that we need to support the AEC to be able to ensure that that democratic process is properly carried out within remote communities."

The Northern Territory Electoral Commission (NTEC) has also blamed the staffing cuts and its federal counterpart's direct-enrolment system for the Northern Territory's unenviable record of a poor electoral roll and the lowest voter turnout nationally.

"Currently, 84 per cent of eligible Territorians are enrolled compared to the national enrolment participation figure of 96 per cent," NTEC commissioner Iain Loganathan said.

"The AEC's Federal Direct Enrolment Update program is only applied in areas that have a mail-delivery service to the household; this excludes remote towns such as Tennant Creek and Jabiru and remote electorates."

He also said online enrolment could hinder remote and Aboriginal electors.

Member for Lingiari Warren Snowdon says voters are being denied the chance to enrol. ( ABC News: Alan Dowler )

Enrolment falls by 1,800 in remote NT areas

The AEC has reported 42 per cent of the Indigenous population are missing from the electoral roll.

But the Australian Electoral Office said the cuts to the AEC in the NT have not reduced services and that the Territory's enrolment rate has, in fact, increased over the past five years.

"The enrolment rate has lifted to between 4.5 and 5 per cent," AEC spokesman Phil Diak said.

The AEC says 42 per cent of the Indigenous population is not enrolled to vote. ( ABC News: Tom Maddocks )

However, Mr Loganathan said the gap between urban and bush voters is widening, thanks largely to the AEC's direct-enrolment system.

"The accuracy of the electoral roll is improving in urban division and declining in remote divisions," Mr Loganathan said.

"Over 4,500 electors have been added to the electoral roll in urban areas since the 2016 Territory election but … enrolment in remote divisions has decreased by nearly 1,800."

Mr Diak said the AEC is committed to making the electoral roll as complete as possible.

"Where there are difficulties in mail services and response it does create extra difficulties there in running the Federal Direct Enrolment Program in some remote areas," Mr Diak said.

Jacinta Price is concerned by the low voter enrolment in the Northern Territory. ( ABC News: Sara Everingham )

'A discriminatory act'

Mr Snowdon said voters were being denied the opportunity to enrol.

"That's a discriminatory act and it's contrary to international obligations [to] which we've signed up — various international covenants — and against Australian electoral law," he said.

"It's inconsistent with our belief in human rights and the rights of people to participate in our democracy, yet it seems to be a deliberate act by the Federal Government."

The Minister for Northern Australia, Matthew Canavan, said there was an appropriate parliamentary process to deal with complaints.

"If Mr Snowdon has a particular complaint he can take that to the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters," Mr Canavan said.

"But if he hasn't done that, it sounds to me that some of these [complaints] are a little self-serving from Mr Snowdon. They shouldn't be accepted on face value."