Media key facts and figures, 2013 federal election

Updated: 20 September 2013

Enrolment key facts

14 712 799 Australians were enrolled to vote for the 2013 federal election. This compares to 14 088 260 in 2010.
1 548 419 Australians aged 18 to 24 years were enrolled to vote for the 2013 federal election. This compares to 1 522 991 in 2010.
An estimated 1.22 million eligible Australians were not enrolled to vote for the 2013 federal election. This compares to an estimated 1.5 million in 2010.

1717 candidates nominated for the 2013 federal election. This compares to 1198 in 2010.
1188 candidates nominated for the House of Representatives. This compares to 849 in 2010.
529 candidates nominated for the Senate. This compares to 349 in 2010.
There were 470 female candidates and 1247 male candidates for the 2013 federal election. This compares to 353 female candidates and 845 male candidates in 2010.

There were 9146 polling places during the 2013 federal election (inclusive of early voting centres, remote polling locations and special hospital teams).
There were over 500 early voting centres around Australia.
Voting services were made available via 102 diplomatic missions around the world, enabling eligible Australians living, working or holidaying overseas to cast their vote.
38 mobile voting teams visited more than 400 remote locations across Australia.
Information explaining how to vote in 27 languages was available at every polling place. This compares to 21 languages in 2010.

Over 43 million ballot papers were printed.
Over 50 000 ballot boxes were produced.
Over 150 000 voting screens were produced.
Approximately 14 000 recycling bins were produced (including items recovered for re-use after the 2010 federal election).
Over 100 000 pencils and approximately 140 kilometres of string was required.
Approximately 9.7 million households received the AEC's publication, Your official guide to the 2013 federal election. The guide was also published in audio, E-text and braille formats.
Approximately 80 000 temporary staff were employed for work in early voting centres, at polling places on election day and for counting votes after the election.
Approximately 500 election call centre operators were trained to answer enquiries during the election period.
The election call centre operated from 8am to 8pm, 7 days a week, and 7am to 9pm on election day. Over 550 000 calls and 30 000 enquiry emails were received.
The 2013 federal election cost over $110 million to run, plus election funding payments of approximately $60 million.
The election funding rate for candidates, if they achieve at least 4 per cent of the formal first preference vote, is 248.800 cents per vote.

Over 3.2 million Australians voted early (pre-poll or postal) for the 2013 federal election. This compares to around 2.5 million in 2010.
Over 1.3 million postal vote applications were received for the 2013 federal election. This compares to just over 950 000 in 2010.
2832 votes were cast via the AEC's telephone voting solution for people who are blind or have low vision. This compares with 410 in 2010.

The tally room contained 869 pages on election night, which were refreshed every 90 seconds.
In the days after election night results were updated every 15 minutes via 21 041 pages.

Contact the AEC National Media Unit on 02 6271 4415, at media@aec.gov.au or the media liaison officer in your state or territory.