Introduction
Australia is a representative democracy with 3 elected levels of government: federal, state/territory and local.
- Federal government elections are managed by the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC).
- State and local government elections in NSW are managed by the NSW Electoral Commission (NSWEC).
Under Australian law, if you are eligible to vote you should:
- enrol to vote
- vote in all federal, state and local government elections, by-elections and referendums.
Note:
- You can enrol when you turn 16 years of age but cannot vote until you’re 18.
- You only need to enrol once to vote for all 3 levels of government.
- To find the date of the next federal election, visit the AEC website.
Who is eligible to enrol
You are eligible to vote if you:
- are an Australian citizen
- are a British citizen who was enrolled to vote in Australia on or before 25 January 1984, and
- are aged 18 years or older, and
- have lived at your current address for at least one month.
Learn more about how to enrol to vote at elections.
How to vote
Where and when to vote
You can vote at any polling place in your state or territory on polling day, which is always on a Saturday. Polling places are open between 8am and 6pm and are usually located in local schools, churches and community halls, or public buildings.
Learn more about:
Local and state government elections
You may be eligible to vote using one of the following methods:
- in person at a voting centre or polling place on election day
- in person at an early voting centre or pre-poll venue before election day
- by post at a single election or as a general postal voter
- on site at a declared institution or facility (some nursing homes, convalescent homes, hospitals and aged care institutions) using a declaration envelope.
Check your voting options on the NSWEC website.
Federal government elections
You may be eligible to vote using one of the following methods:
- in person at an early voting centre, interstate voting centre or overseas voting centre
- via the AEC’s telephone voting service (if you’re blind, have low vision or are working in, or in transit to/from, Antarctica)
- by post
- at a mobile polling place (set up in some hospitals, nursing homes, prisons and remote areas of Australia).
Special enrolment options
Visit the AEC website if you have special needs or specific circumstances that may affect your enrolment.
Help with voting forms (practise voting)
Use the practise voting tools on the AEC website if you’re voting for the first time or want to understand how to fill out the form correctly.
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