How to enrol to vote

Easy to read guide

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How to use this guide

The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC)

wrote this guide. When you see the word ‘we’,
it means AEC.

We have written this guide in an easy

to read way.

We use pictures to explain some ideas.

We have written some words in bold. We explain

what these words mean. There is a list of these
words on page 16.

You can ask for assistance to read this guide.

A friend, family member or support person
may be able to assist you.

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What’s in this guide?

Voting in an election 4

Enrolling to vote 6

What happens next? 12

What if you move house? 13

Are you already on the electoral roll? 14

How can you get more information? 15

Word list 16

Contact us 17

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Voting in an election

In Australia we have a federal election about

every 3 years.

A federal election is for the whole country.

It’s how we choose Australia’s government.

The Governor-General chooses the date

for the election.

Election day will be on a Saturday.

On that day, Australian people will vote.

When you vote, you help to choose who is part

of Australia’s government.

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You must vote if you are:

• an Australian citizen
and
• aged 18 years old or older.

A citizen is someone who is given the rights

and freedoms of the country where they live.

Voting lets you have your say about who runs

our country.

Don’t worry if you haven’t voted before.

We explain what you need to do.

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Enrolling to vote

Before you can vote, you must enrol.

When you enrol, we put your name on a list

of voters – people who can vote.

This list is called the electoral roll.

To go on the electoral roll, you must fill out

an enrolment form.

If you are nearly 18, you can enrol now.

When you turn 18, you’ll be ready to vote.

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You can fill out an enrolment form:

• online

• on paper.

You can enrol to vote at any time.

But you must enrol before the electoral

roll closes to vote in an election.

The electoral roll closes 1 week after the

Governor-General chooses the date of
the election.

If you enrol before the electoral roll closes,

you won’t miss out.

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Enrolling online

You can visit our website to enrol to vote online.

www.aec.gov.au/enrol

There is a button that says: Enrol online.

You need to answer some questions.

You will be asked for proof of who you are,

such as a:

• drivers’ licence
• passport.

Someone else on the electoral roll can also

prove that they know you.

If you want, you can ask someone to assist you.

When you are finished, you need to use the

button that says: Submit.

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Enrolling on paper

To enrol on paper, you need to fill out

an enrolment form.

You can get an enrolment form at any

AEC office.

If you call us, we can send you an enrolment

form in the mail.

Our number is 13 23 26.

You need to answer some questions.

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You will be asked for proof of who you are,
such as a:

• drivers’ licence
• passport.

Someone else on the electoral roll can also

prove that they know you.

If you want, you can ask someone to

assist you.

When you are finished, you need to send

us the form.

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You can:

• post it to us at:

AEC

Reply Paid 9867

In your capital city

You don’t need to use a stamp.

• take it to an AEC office

If you call us, we can assist you to find
an AEC office near you.
13 23 26

• scan it and upload it to our website.

www.aec.gov.au/return

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What happens next?

A few weeks after you enrol, we will send

you a letter.

The letter will say that your name has been added
to the electoral roll.

This means you can vote in a federal election.

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What if you move house?

You need to tell us every time you move.

This helps us keep the electoral roll up-to-date.

If you move to a new house, please fill out a new

enrolment form.

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Are you already on the electoral roll?

It is easy to check if you are already on the

electoral roll.

You can:

• visit our website

www.aec.gov.au/check

• phone us and we will check for you

13 23 26

• visit an AEC office and we will check

for you.

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How can you get more information?

If you want to find out more about voting,

we have 2 other guides you can read:

• How to vote at a polling place

• How to vote by mail.

You can find these guides on our website.

www.aec.gov.au/assistance

We also have information on our website

for people who speak languages other
than English.

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Word list

Citizen

A citizen is someone who is given the rights

and freedoms of the country where they live.

Electoral roll

A list of voters.

Enrol

When you enrol, we put your name on

a list of voters.

Federal election

A federal election is for the whole country.

It’s how we choose Australia’s government.

Vote

When you vote, you help to choose who is

part of Australia’s government.

Voters

People who can vote.

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Contact us
National Relay Service

TTY users:
• Phone 13 36 77
• Ask for 13 23 26

Speak and listen users:

• Phone 1300 555 727
• Ask for 13 23 26

Internet relay users:

• Connect to the NRS
• Ask for 13 23 26

Other languages:
• Phone 1300 720 153

www.aec.gov.au

/AusElectoralCom/

@AusElectoralCom

@auselectoralcom

The Information Access Group created this Easy to read guide using
stock photography and custom images.
The images may not be reused without permission. For any enquiries
about the images, please visit www.informationaccessgroup.com.
Quote job number 3035-A.

Authorised by the Deputy Electoral Commissioner, Canberra.

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