Voting

Voting is compulsory when you turn 18.

The Australian Electoral Commission keeps information on all Australians who are eligible to vote. You can enrol to vote when you are 16 but you cannot vote until you are 18 years old.

It is compulsory to vote in federal elections and state or territory elections.  You will also be asked to vote in local council elections.

You can receive a fine if you do not vote. View more information on the Australian Electoral Commission website.

Differences between states

Northern Territory

To see how voting works in the NT, go to the website of the NT Electoral Commission.

ACT

To see how voting works in the ACT, go to the Elections ACT website of the ACT Electoral Commission.

Western Australia

To see how voting works in Western Australia, go to the website of the Western Australian Electoral Commission.

NSW

To see how voting works in New South Wales, go to the website of the New South Wales Electoral Commission.

Victoria

To see how voting works in Victoria, go to the website of the Victorian Electoral Commission.

South Australia

To see how voting works in South Australia, go to the website of the Electoral Commission South Australia.

Tasmania

To see how voting works in Tasmania, go to the website of the Tasmanian Electoral Commission.

Queensland

To see how voting works in Queensland, go to the website of the Electoral Commission Queensland.