Expression of Interest
To apply to work at an election, you will need to submit an online expression of interest (EOI) application. It should take around 20 minutes to complete.
You will need to create a QGov account to register your EOI.
If you’ve submitted an EOI before, you can log in with your QGov details or update or change your application.
In your application, you will be asked for your employment preferences and details of your relevant skills and experience.
Please be aware that lodging an EOI does not guarantee employment.
Find out more about the process to apply to work at an election.
Eligibility
Check that you are eligible to work at an election in Queensland before you begin your application. The criteria is outlined on the work at an election page.
Tips on completing your EOI
- Include current and accurate information.
- Provide relevant examples that demonstrate your skills, abilities and personal qualities.
- You’ll need to complete the application in full for it to be submitted, but once submitted, you can log back in and make changes to your responses.
Information to have ready
- details of previous election work (if applicable)
- the positions and council area/state electorates you’d like to work in
- examples of your experience/capability in the following:
- providing customer service
- working in a team environment
- calculating figures accurately
- working under pressure and to deadlines
- attention to detail
- ability to work independently with minimum supervision
- managing or supervising staff (if applying for a supervisor position).
Review of applications
The Returning Officer in each council/electorate will review all EOIs then select the applicants best suited to each of the positions available. Recruitment is based on merit and consideration of equity and diversity as set out under chapter 3 and chapter 2 of the Public Sector Act 2022 and the Recruitment and selection directive (07/23).
Offers of employment
If you are successful, you will receive an offer of employment by email. If you accept the position, you will be sent a letter of employment via email.
All temporary election staff must complete online training and some positions will require face-to-face training.
Offers of employment are made up to eight weeks before an election and continue throughout the election period.
Feedback
You may be asked to take part in a voluntary, anonymous survey about your experience of the recruitment process and working at the election.
This feedback is used to help us to continuously improve our processes.
Frequently asked questions
If you are successful, you will receive an offer of employment as early as eight weeks before election day. These will be sent to you via email by the hiring manager.
Notifications will not be sent to unsuccessful applicants.
QGov is a secure website that will store your login credentials to ensure access to the ECQ’s Self Service Portal. The details contained within your EOI will be stored by the ECQ.
The ECQ uses QGov to ensure your information is protected by the highest levels of security. You will need to use your QGov login every time you log into the ECQ Self Service Portal.
Yes. QGov features a range of security measures that help ensure your information is protected. You will need to authenticate your personal email address against the QGov service to ensure only you can access your information whilst working for ECQ. The QGov service also uses confirmation of identity techniques such as SMS or email code verification messages that only you will receive.
Contact QGov on 13 74 68 if you have a question relating to your QGov account.
No. QGov is for Queensland Government agencies, while MyGov is for Federal Government agencies such as the Australian Taxation Office or Medicare.
Yes. You can view and edit your EOI at any time by logging into your Self Service Portal using your QGov login.
The Self Service Portal is part of the ECQ’s Election Management System.
You can submit or modify an EOI, and, if you are successful in obtaining employment for an election, you can enter your financial details, access training materials, complete your timesheets and view your pay advices in the Self Service Portal.
No. But you can nominate a radius preference to indicate how far you are willing to travel for work. Where possible, Returning Officers will try to hire people to work at polling places that are close to the employee’s home, but this is not guaranteed.
No. You must be enrolled or provisionally enrolled to vote to work at an election in Queensland. You can check your enrolment, enrol to vote or update your details, at the Australian Electoral Commission’s website.
Yes. If you are 16 or 17 years old you are able to work at elections in certain positions, but you will need to be provisionally enrolled to vote. You can check your enrolment, enrol to vote or update your details, at the Australian Electoral Commission’s website.
Yes. The ECQ is committed to workplace diversity and encourages people with a disability to apply.
We will make workplace or role modifications and adjustments to meet individual needs where we reasonably can. Please note that adjustment may be limited to the hired venue and building access.
While reasonable adjustment consideration is given to all positions, we have identified that the positions of Issuing Officer and Count Assistant have the most flexibility to configure to individual reasonable adjustment requirements.
To help us assess your needs, please outline any relevant adjustment(s) you may require in your expression of interest application and/or throughout the offer of employment process.
Yes. All temporary election staff must complete mandatory training before they can start work. Depending on your position, this training could include reviewing handbooks, completing online courses, attending face-to-face training, or a combination of these.
Yes. Mandatory training must be completed before each election as procedures, systems and legislation may change between events.
You will be paid in accordance with the specified rates of pay PDF (0.55 MB) for different positions.
You will be paid by electronic funds transfer to your nominated bank account within three weeks of election day.
Your payslip will be available through your Self Service Portal.
You can access payment summary information from the Australian Tax Office (ATO) via your myGov account. Temporary election staff who do not have a myGov account will be required to create one.
Payment summary information is known as an Income Statement in ATO Online Services. For more information refer to Accessing your income statement online provided by the ATO or call 13 28 61.
Yes. The ECQ will pay employer superannuation contributions equivalent to the Superannuation Guarantee Contribution rate (currently 11% of the employee’s ordinary time earnings).
It may. For advice on how payments for temporary election work may affect any government benefits, please contact the Department of Human Services.
There is no specific dress code for temporary election staff, but you are expected to exercise common sense and wear practical clothing appropriate to a professional work environment. Inappropriate clothing includes singlets, thongs or t-shirts with offensive or political images or messages.
Supportive footwear is strongly encouraged due to the amount of time that many temporary election staff spend walking or standing to perform their duties.
No. We recommend you bring food and drinks with you. Not all work locations will be close to a shop or café and there are no food or drinks provided. Your supervisor will call you before you work to let you know whether water, a fridge and/or microwave are available, to help you know what to bring.
If you are working on election day, plan for lunch and dinner with snacks in between.
Advise your Returning Officer as soon as possible if you find yourself unable to work.
Yes. You’ll need to submit a new EOI every time you want to express an interest to work at an election. Ensure you have clicked the ‘interested’ button against the election you wish to be considered for and ensure you complete all fields – including the Conflict of Interest questions.
You can update your EOI at any time if your details have changed or if you wish to edit your responses. You can do this by visiting the ECQ website and logging into the Self Service Portal.
If you have worked for us before, the financial details you have provided via the Self Service Portal will carry over to future events. Ensure you review and check they are up-to-date as providing incorrect (or outdated) financial details may lead to delayed payments.
You can manage your notification settings for upcoming election once you have submitted an EOI.
If your radius extends to an area that has an upcoming election, you will be notified via email and asked to verify your interest via the Self Service Portal.
If you advise you are interested, your EOI will be sent through to the Returning Officer of that area for review and possible recruitment. If you advise you are not interested, you will be marked in the system as such for that election only.