Voting

Voting in Australia

In Australia you must vote if you:

• are an Australian citizen,
• are aged 18 years or over.

There are different types of elections that you get to vote in. Some examples are:

• federal elections (organised by the Australian Electoral Commission, also known as the AEC)
• state, territory, or local government elections (usually run by state electoral bodies)
• referendums.

However, you can enrol for all elections using the AEC enrolment form.

Why vote?

Our compulsory voting system is designed so the result represents the vote of a majority of Australians (eligible to vote).  

This ensures Parliament reflects the will of the Australian people, and makes laws in the interest of all Australians – not just those who choose to vote.  

It means we all have a say about who represents us and our communities.  

Voting is also a way to tell government what you’d like to happen, and an opportunity to impact the laws we have to follow.

Voting is not only a responsibility, but your right, and a privilege. It wasn’t always the case that people had the right to vote. 

Enrolling to vote

Around 1.7 million Australians aged between 18 and 24 are enrolled to vote. There are over 240,000 young people who are eligible yet not enrolled.

You can easily enrol online through the AEC website.

If you’re 16 or 17 you can also enrol now so you’ll be ready to vote when you turn 18.

There are different enrolment options if you:

• don’t have a fixed address
• are living or going overseas
• are unable to attend a polling place.

You can find out about these special enrolment options on the AEC website.

Updating and checking your enrolment

It is important to check your details are up to date so that you are correctly enrolled to vote.

If you move house or change your name, you need to update your enrolment. If you’re ever unsure about your enrolment, you can easily check online.

How to vote

There are different ways you can vote in a federal election, including early or on election day, in person or by post, depending on your circumstances.  

To make sure your vote counts, you will need to follow the instructions on the ballot paper/s. You can practise voting on the AEC website.

Mis and disinformation

During elections, you might see information that isn’t true or that tries to tell you who to vote for. It’s important that you consider the source of information.

It can be hard to know what information is trustworthy and up to date.  

Check out these videos from the AEC with tips to help you ‘stop and consider’ what you see, hear, and read during an election.  

There’s lots of other information available on the AEC website. 

Work opportunities

The AEC employs around 100,000 people to help deliver elections.  

Find out more about the jobs that become available and how to register for future elections.

Need more help or have questions?