Voting and Elections in Australia

Compulsory Voting

Australia is one of few countries where voting is compulsory. If you are an Australian citizen aged 18 or over, you must vote in federal, state, and local elections. Failure to vote without a valid reason results in a $20-80 fine. You must enrol to vote within 8 weeks of becoming a citizen or turning 18. Enrol online at aec.gov.au.

How Preferential Voting Works

Australia uses preferential voting (also called ranked-choice). Instead of just picking one candidate, you number ALL candidates in order of preference (1 being your first choice). If no candidate gets 50% of first-preference votes, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated and their votes are redistributed to the second preference. This continues until one candidate has 50%+1 votes.

This means your vote is never wasted — even if your first choice does not win, your preferences still count. Number every box on the green House of Representatives ballot. On the white Senate ballot, you can vote above the line (number at least 6 parties) or below the line (number at least 12 candidates).

Election Day

Federal elections are always held on a Saturday. Polling booths are typically at schools and community centres. You can also vote early at pre-poll centres in the weeks before election day, or apply for a postal vote. The classic tradition is a "democracy sausage" — a sausage sizzle fundraiser run by the school or community group at the polling station.

Three Levels of Government

• Federal: Handles defence, immigration, taxation, Medicare, aged care
• State/Territory: Handles education, hospitals, police, roads, public transport
• Local council: Handles rubbish, local roads, parks, development approvals, libraries