Guide to voting
Voting is compulsory in Australia. Failure to vote may result in a fine. If you would like assistance, our I need help voting page has several options.
Find a polling place
Polling places are where people vote during an election. They are usually located at schools or community halls. All polling places are listed on the ECQ website once an election is called.
Our Find My Polling Booth tool allows you to search for convenient early voting centres and election day polling places. It also gives information about the accessibility of the polling places.
Voting at a polling place
Go to the issuing officer table. This is usually at the entrance of the polling place. An election official will verify your identity before giving you your ballot paper(s).
You can bring your voter information card with you to make this step easier.
Go to an empty voting booth. The voting screen will allow you to fill out your ballot paper in private. Make sure to read the instructions on the top of your ballot paper before you start filling it out.
If you need assistance filling out your ballot paper, you can ask an election official for help. You can also bring someone to help you vote.
Put your completed ballot paper(s) in the ballot box as you leave the polling place.
If you have questions at any time, you can ask an election official.
What to expect when you cast your vote
Whether you are voting early or on election day, you’ll follow the same process.
This video shows you start to finish what to expect when you arrive at a polling place to vote.
How to fill out your ballot paper
This short animation covers how to fill out your ballot paper for a state general election.
The most important thing to do is read the instructions at the top of your ballot paper. If you don’t understand the instructions, ask an election official for assistance.
Other ways to vote
Each voter can choose how they want to vote for each election. If you’d like to investigate other kinds of voting, check out our page Ways to vote.
Assistance voting
We want to make sure that voting is easy and accessible for everyone. There are a range of services available. You can find them on the I need help voting page.