Voter turnout – previous events

Updated: 7 November 2023

Voter turnout is calculated by dividing the sum of formal and informal votes by the final enrolment figure. The final enrolment figure is the total number of people who are entitled to vote in an election. Rejected declaration votes are not included in the voter turnout calculation.

Elections for the House of Representatives and Senate do not need to be held on the same date. Referendums do not have to be held in conjunction with another election.

Voter Turnout 1901 – 2022
Year Senate (%) House of Representatives (%) Referendum (%)
1901 54.28 56.68 –
1903 46.86 50.27 –
1906 50.21 51.48 50.17
1910 62.16 62.80 62.16
1911 – – 53.31
1913 73.66 73.49 73.66
1914 72.64 73.53 –
1916 – – 82.75[2]
1917[1] 77.69 78.30 81.34[2]
1919 71.33 71.59 71.33
1922 57.95 59.38 –
1925 91.31 91.38 –
1926 – – 91.07
1928 93.61 93.62 93.61
1929 – 94.74 –
1931 95.02 95.02 –
1934 95.03 95.16 –
1937[1] 96.11 96.12 94.06
1940 94.76 94.80 –
1943 96.31 96.29 –
1944 – – 96.47
1946 93.97 93.95 93.97
1948 – – 93.56
1949 95.97 95.94 –
1951[1] 95.99 95.97 95.58
1953 94.93 – –
1954 – 96.05 –
1955 95.01 95.00 –
1958 95.48 95.44 –
1961 95.27 95.22 –
1963 – 95.71 –
1964 94.49 – –
1966 – 95.13 –
1967[1] 95.11 – 93.84
1969 – 94.97 –
1970 93.98 – –
1972 – 95.38 –
1973 – – 93.39
1974 95.50 95.40 95.50
1975 95.39 95.39 –
1977[1] 95.08 95.08 92.28
1980 94.35 94.35 –
1983 94.64 94.64 –
1984 94.55 94.19 94.01
1987 94.34 93.84 –
1988 – – 92.13
1990 95.81 95.31 –
1993 96.22 95.75 –
1996 96.20 95.77 –
1998 95.34 94.99 –
1999 – – 95.10
2001 95.20 94.85 –
2004 94.82 94.32 –
2007 95.17 94.76 –
2010 93.83 93.22 –
2013 93.88 93.23 –
2014[3] 88.50 – –
2016 91.93 91.01 –
2019 92.48 91.89 –
2022 90.47 89.82 –
2023 - - 89.95
  1. Federal elections and referendums were not held on the same day.
  2. The military service referendums of 1916 and 1917 were not Constitutional referendums and the result was not binding on the government. For this reason they are usually referred to as plebiscites.
  3. WA Senate election.

Source:

  • Electoral Pocketbook
  • Parliamentary Handbook, Department of the Parliamentary Library, AGPS Canberra, 1996
  • Commonwealth Election and Referendum Statistics 1901–1975. Pg 13 & 36. Australian Electoral Office, AGPS Canberra, 1976
  • AEC Election Statistics (misc)