General Postal Voters

Can I register to be a general postal voter?

You can register to become a general postal voter if you are:

• enrolled at an address more than 20 km away from a polling place
• a patient at a hospital or nursing home and unable to travel to a polling place
• unable to travel due to being infirm at home
• caring for a seriously ill or infirm person
• serving a prison sentence of less than 3 years
• registered as a silent elector
• unable to attend a polling place due to religious beliefs
• unable to sign your name due to a physical incapacity
• registered as an overseas elector
• a member of the defence force, or a defence civilian serving outside Australia
• an Australian Federal Police officer or staff member serving outside Australia.

Once you are registered as a general postal voter, you will automatically receive your ballot papers in the mail after an election has been announced. You do not need to re-apply for future elections.

How do I apply to be a general postal voter?

You will need to:

• select the general postal voter form for your state or territory from the list below
• check you qualify to be a general postal voter
• complete the form then print, sign and return to the AEC.

If you are not already enrolled at your current residential address, you will need to enrol to vote or change your address.

I've changed my details, should I apply again?

Every time you change your address or change your name you need to update your details on the electoral roll. There is no need to reapply to be a general postal voter if one of the circumstances listed above still apply to you.

Will I be registered for state and local government elections?

When you register to be a general postal voter using the forms below, you can also apply to receive ballot papers for state and local government elections. Refer to the form for your state or territory for more details.

General postal voter forms

Forms may be completed on screen prior to printing, signing and returning to the AEC.

• New South Wales – Federal, State and Council Elections [PDF 144KB]
• Victoria – Federal and State Elections [PDF 125KB]
• Queensland – Federal and State Elections [PDF 140KB]
• Western Australia – Federal and State Elections [PDF 142KB]
• South Australia – Federal and State Elections [PDF 144KB]
• Tasmania – Federal and State Elections [PDF 138KB]
• Australian Capital Territory – Federal and Territory Elections [PDF 140KB]
• Northern Territory – Federal and Territory Elections [PDF 325KB]