How to Vote
This guide has everything you need to know about how voting works at the federal election on Saturday 21 May.
This year you can make a difference by voting at the federal election on Saturday 21 May. If enough young people vote it is more likely that politicians will listen and take action on the issues that matter to you. It’s easy to vote and this guide has everything you need to know.
Enrol to vote
In Australia voting is compulsory and you have to enrol before you can vote on election day. It’s easy to enrol and you can do it online right now with the Australian Electoral Commission.
To enrol you must be at least 16 years old and a citizen of Australia. If you are 16 or 17 you can enrol now, but you won’t be able to vote until you’re 18. All you need is a form of ID like a driver's licence or passport. If you don’t have ID you can ask someone who is already enrolled to sign your application. You can also enrol by printing a paper form or visiting your local Australian Electoral Commission office.
The deadline to enrol is Monday 18 April at 8PM. You should enrol as soon as possible to make sure you meet the deadline. It’s important that everyone enrols to vote. You can make a difference by speaking with your friends about voting and asking them to enrol.
It’s easy to check if you’re already enrolled or to update your details by visiting the Australian Electoral Commission. You should update your details if you’ve moved or if you have changed your phone number or email.
How to vote
It’s easy and quick to vote in-person on election day. You can even vote early by mail or at an early voting centre.
The election will be on Saturday 21 May and polling places will open at 8AM and close at 6PM. Polling places are usually at local schools and community centres. You can find a list of polling places at the Australian Electoral Commission before election day. The Australian Electoral Commission also makes a list of accessible polling places and have polling officials who can help if you need assistance. When you arrive at a polling place the officials will ask for your full name and address to make sure you’re eligible to vote before you receive a ballot paper.
You might be able to vote early by mail or in person at an early voting centre. You can usually vote early if you’re far away from a polling place or if you’ll be working on election day. Early voting will begin on 9 May and you can find an early voting centre at the Australian Electoral Commission. You can also apply online before 18 May to vote by post.
There are two ballot papers which you use to vote. The green ballot paper is to vote for a representative of your local area in the House of Representatives. The white ballot paper is to vote for a representative of your state or territory in the Senate. In Australia, voting is totally anonymous which means your name will not be on your ballot and you don’t have to share who you voted for with your friends or family. You can learn more and practise voting right now at the Australian Electoral Commission.
The AYAC Election Guide has everything you need to take action and make a difference. You can find out more about how to vote, meeting candidates and where the parties stand on what matters to you.