Skip to contentInformation for people with disabilityInformation on accessibility
Australian Electoral Commission
If you are an Australian citizen 18 years or over, you are still eligible to enrol and vote when elections are held. If your living circumstances change you can also update your enrolment.
You can apply if you are:
It is not compulsory to enrol or vote if you are a person with no fixed address and you will not be fined. However, you can and are encouraged to enrol and vote if you wish to.
If you’re already enrolled to vote and your circumstances haven’t changed no further action is required.
You can contact the AEC or call 13 23 26 if you need help.
Choose the state or territory for the address/division where you are applying to enrol, even if it is not where you are currently living. This form will enrol you to vote in federal, state/territory and most local government elections.
To complete the online form you will need:
If you don’t have a driver’s licence or passport please use a paper form below.
You can vote if you are enrolled. Not sure if you are enrolled? Check your enrolment details online.
On election day, you vote at a polling place which is usually at a school or hall
There are two ways you can vote before election day:
The green ballot paper is for the House of Representatives.
The names on the green ballot paper are candidates.
Next to each candidate name is an empty box.
Pick the candidate who is your first choice.
Write 1 in the empty box next to their name.
Then pick the candidate who is your second choice.
Write 2 in the empty box next to their name.
Keep going until all the empty boxes have a different number.
When all the empty boxes have a different number, you are finished filling out the green ballot paper.
Some candidates might have another box next to their name with a word or picture in it.
The picture might help you decide who to vote for.
The white ballot paper is for the Senate.
It has a black line on it.
Above the black line is a list of political parties.
Below the black line are the names of all the candidates.
There are 2 different ways to mark your white ballot paper.
You must choose 1 way:
You only choose 1 way
Above the name of each political party is an empty box. Pick the political party or group you want to vote for. Write 1 in the empty box of the group that is your first choice. Then pick the group who is your second choice. Write 2 in the empty box next to their name. Keep going until 6 empty boxes have a number. If there are less than 6 empty boxes, you must number all of them. You can finish voting now. Or you can keep going until all the empty boxes have a different number. Some political parties might have another box above their name with a word or picture in it. The picture might help you decide who to vote for.
Next to each candidate name is an empty box. Pick the candidate who is your first choice. Write 1 in the empty box next to the candidate who is your first choice. Then pick the candidate who is your second choice. Write 2 in the empty box next to their name. Keep going until 12 empty boxes have a number. If there are less than 12 empty boxes, you must number all of them. You can finish voting now. Or you can keep going until all the empty boxes have a different number.
Take your ballot papers back to the table where you got them.
Say to the election official, “I made a mistake and need a new ballot paper”.
The election official will take your ballot paper with the mistake.
Then they will give you a new ballot paper.
Then you can go back to the voting screen and try again.
The AEC acknowledges the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and recognises their continuing connection to land, waters, culture and community. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.
