Voting
Updated: 22 December 2011
How to Vote
All Australians who are eligible to vote elect people to represent them in the two houses of Parliament – the Senate and the House of Representatives.
Compulsory voting
Compulsory voting means that every eligible Australian citizen (18 years or older) is required by law to enrol and vote. If a person does not vote and is unable to provide a 'valid and sufficient' reason, a penalty is imposed. Compulsory voting is a distinctive feature of the Australian political culture.
More information on compulsory voting
See Also
- Your vote is a valuable thing: a guide to enrolling & voting in federal elections
- Frequently asked questions about voting within Australia
- Information about enrolling and voting overseas
- Indigenous voters
- Positions on the ballot paper, draw for the Senate and draw for the House of Representatives
- Voter turnout 1901 – present
- Electoral and Voting Systems Research Paper [PDF 537KB]
- Electronic Voting and Electronic Counting of Votes Status Report 1
- Electronic Voting Status Report 2 [PDF 336KB]
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