Direct elections of the party leader and other officials including party president in the territory would follow reforms adopted by the federal ALP, splitting power between rank-and-file members and the ALP caucus in the Legislative Assembly.

The 50-50 voting reform, one of five measures supported by members in an internal plebiscite conducted in March, is expected to be adopted by the 220 delegates to the conference at Woden's Southern Cross Club.

Ms Gallagher has supported direct election of her position, along with ACT Labor president and federal Senator Kate Lundy.

No decision has been made about whether the first ballot would take place before the 2016 election, but federal Labor rules require the position to be declared vacant after a Labor election loss.

The ALP national conference is yet to consider the rule changes, which also require the support of 75 per cent of caucus to force a ballot against a sitting leader or 60 per cent during opposition.

A new category of ALP membership is also expected to be created by the conference, seeing associate members join the party without having to be members of affiliated trade unions.

The existing rule is regularly ignored by state and territory ALP branches, and the new membership category is considered a compromise from union leaders.

The next ALP national conference will debate membership rules and if a national change is made to remove union membership requirements, associate members in the ACT would have their full membership backdated to the time they joined.

Associate members could participate in party sub-branches and other bodies but won't be entitled to vote in internal ballots. Union membership would be maintained as a requirement for the awarding of full membership in the party.

Direct election of party leaders and other membership rule changes are also being pursued by ALP branches in Tasmania and New South Wales.

Queensland's state Labor conference last year voted to to give the parliamentary wing, affiliated unions and branch members one third of the vote each towards electing the party leader.

Other motions that could be considered at the conference deal with Australia's treatment of refugees and asylum seekers.

Following an unsuccessful push by federal MPs Melissa Parke and Anna Burke to reverse Labor's support for offshore processing of asylum seekers, the federal Labor caucus settled on a compromise motion calling for timely processing for refugees, with "safe, dignified and humane conditions".

Another motion considering to end-of-life treatment could spark debate about voluntary euthanasia and better palliative care in the ACT.

Ginninderra MLA Mary Porter said she will considering speaking to the general resolution if it is dealt with by the conference.

"What we need in the community is a continued conversation about this matter," she said.

"What I would be looking for the conference to support is that we have a debate in such a way that does not polarise the community into different camps, that is for and against [euthanasia].

"That's not helpful and we need to understand each other's positions," Ms Porter said.