Silent electors

Silent enrolment means your address will not be shown on future editions of the publicly available roll.

You must explain in detail what you consider the risk to be and why your, or your family’s, personal safety is at risk. Your commonwealth statutory declaration must be witnessed by a person who is listed on page 2.

The statutory declaration is required to be a Commonwealth statutory declaration, that is, a statutory declaration made under the Statutory Declarations Act 1959 (Commonwealth). The AEC cannot accept statutory declarations made under state/territory legislation.

The Divisional Returning Officer (DRO) will consider whether your claim complies with legislative requirements and will notify you in writing of the decision. This information will be treated in strictest confidence at all times.

Note: If you are granted silent status for a new address, only your name and the name of your division will appear on the electoral rolls.

However, if you are granted silent status for the address where you are already enrolled, you should be aware that your address will appear on electoral rolls that are already available in the public domain but will not appear on any future electoral rolls.

Local government rolls are a combination of the Victorian state roll and council ratepayer lists. If you have been granted silent status on the Victorian state roll, your address in respect of that enrolment will be suppressed on the local government roll.

Ratepayers who do not live within the municipality, non-Australian citizens and company nominees are included on the local government roll by the council. If you are one of these people and you do not wish to have your non-resident address and/or your residential/contact address included on the local government roll, you will need to make a separate application to the council to become a municipal silent voter.

No, you don't need to reapply to be a silent elector but you do need to update your enrolment with your new details. You can change your address or change your name online with the AEC. When the AEC updates your enrolment details you will continue to be registered as a silent elector.

You should also notify the AEC of any change to your postal address.

As a silent elector you can register as a general postal voter to have ballot papers automatically sent to you when a federal or State/Territory election or referendum is called. Check with your state/territory electoral commission for arrangements for local government elections.

If you do not register as a general postal voter you will need to either attend a polling place on polling day, attend a pre-poll voting office prior to polling day or apply for a postal vote for the relevant election.

Updated: 29 February 2024