Roughly every three years Australians vote to decide who will be the Australian Federal Government (also called the Commonwealth Government). If you're enrolled to vote, are an Australian citizen and are old enough to enrol to vote, you are legally required to vote in federal elections.
What the federal government does
The Australian Government is based in Canberra and is probably the most visible of the three levels of government (which are: federal, state and local). The responsibilities of the Federal Government are set out in the Australian Constitution.
The federal government handles the 'big' issues – for example:
- benefit payments (e.g. Austudy, Youth Allowance)
- defence and foreign affairs
- immigration
- trade, commerce and currency
- postal services
- telecommunications
- marriage.
They also share responsibility with the state governments for some things including:
- roads (they look after national highways)
- public health (they're responsible for Medicare)
- education (they fund universities)
- the environment (they develop policies about national environmental issues).
When you vote in a federal election you are given a say about the people who will represent your opinions and interests in these areas.
Find out more about the difference between federal, state and local government.
Do I have to vote?
Voting is compulsory in Australia. So is enrolling to vote.
If you're 18 or over, an Australian citizen and you're enrolled to vote, but you don't vote - for whatever reason - you could be fined.
If you're 18 or over and you're NOT enrolled to vote, you can’t legally vote as your name won’t appear on the voting role.
Since it's illegal not to vote if you're 18 or over, not being enrolled could mean that you get fined for not voting.
For more about failure to vote, check out the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC)'s frequently asked questions. For more about enrolling to vote, check out our enrolling to vote and check or change your enrolment pages.
When is the next federal election?
The rules that decide when federal elections will be held are a bit complicated. For more information, visit the AEC's when elections are held page.
Note that every Australian citizen who is eligible to vote must vote in federal elections or risk being fined. For more about enrolling to vote, check out our enrolling to vote page.
Who can I vote for?
When you vote in a federal election you get to vote for one person to represent your electorate in the House of Representatives – also known as the Lower House. Your electorate is also sometimes known as a 'seat.'
At most federal elections you also get to vote for who represents you in the Senate - also known as the Upper House. When you vote for the Senate, you vote for a group or individuals to represent your whole state.
Find your electorate
To find out what electorate you live in, check out the AEC find my electorate page.
Find your candidates
Closer to an election you can actually find out who the Upper and Lower House candidates are in your electorate by checking out the AEC website. The list of candidates should provide names, occupations and contact details for each candidate. Once you know that you can do a quick online search to find any website or online information they might have to offer.
Remember: It's up to you to decide who you vote for. You don't have to vote for people just because your friends or family tell you to, and you don't have to vote the way that how-to-vote cards say either. The only person who can choose who you vote for is YOU.
Where do I go to vote?
Most people vote at a polling place on election day. Polling places are usually set up at local primary schools and community halls.
Check the opening hours of your local polling place first. If you can't make it to your local polling place on the day of the election, there are other ways to vote, including:
- postal voting (mailing your ballot papers to the AEC before election day)
- absentee voting (voting at a polling place outside of your own electorate)
- early voting (voting at an early voting centre before election day).
To find out where your nearest polling place is, check out the AEC's where can I vote? page. If you can't get to a polling place on election day, check out their ways to vote page.
What happens when I vote?
The actual process of voting might seem complicated, but it's really quite simple. The most important things to remember are
- You need to vote for both the House of Representatives (the 'lower house' of Parliament) and the Senate (the 'upper house' of Parliament).
- The process for voting for the House of Representatives is different from the process for voting for the Senate.
If you're voting in person, a polling official at the polling place will ask you for your name and address, and whether you have voted before in this election. They then mark your name off the electoral roll and you're given two ballot papers – a green one for the House of Representatives, and a white one for the Senate.
If you're voting by post, the ballot papers will be mailed to you.
Each ballot paper has instructions on how to complete it. Make sure you read these instructions carefully and follow them.
Voting for the House of Representatives (Lower House)
House of Representatives ballot papers are green. To complete a House of Representatives ballot paper you put a 1 in the box next to your preferred candidate, and then number all of the remaining boxes in the order of your preference.
When you complete your ballot paper, make sure that you number all boxes. If you don't number all boxes your vote will be considered invalid and won't be counted.
If you have any trouble completing your ballot paper, you can ask an electoral officer for assistance and they will be able to help you.
Some political parties hand out how-to-vote cards that show how they would like you to number the boxes on your House of Representatives ballot paper. You don't have to complete your ballot paper the way that any how-to-vote card tells you to if you don't want to. It is completely up to you how you complete your ballot paper.
Voting for the Senate (Upper House)
Note that the way that you vote for the Senate has changed recently. For more about these changes, visit the AEC website.
The ballot paper for the Senate is a large white sheet with a thick black line across the top. When you vote for the Senate there are two ways to do it.
- Voting 'above the line' means numbering at least 6 boxes above the thick black line from 1 to 6 in order of your preference (you can number more than 6 boxes if you like, but not less than 6)
- Voting 'below the line' means numbering at least 12 boxes below the thick black line from 1 to 12 in order of your preference (you can number more than 12 boxes if you like, but not less than 12)
If you have any trouble completing your ballot paper, you can ask an electoral officer for assistance and they will be able to help you.
Some political parties hand out how-to-vote cards that show how they would like you to number the boxes on your Senate ballot paper. You don't have to complete your ballot paper the way that any how-to-vote card tells you to if you don't want to. It is completely up to you how you complete your ballot paper.
Practise voting
The AEC has set up a practise voting tool for you to have a go at voting before the election so that you're as comfortable and prepared as possible on election day.
Further information
For more information about federal elections, visit the AEC website.
Happy voting!
