How to vote in the Australian Capital Territory Election

You will be given one ballot paper for the Legislative Assembly.

Legislative Assembly

You will vote for the Member representing the electorate where you live. One of 25 in the Australian Capital Territory.

Elections are decided by a method called Hare-Clark system which is a single transferable vote system. Voters rank the candidates from their most preferred (first choice) to their least preferred. To be elected, a candidate must receive a certain proportion of votes, known as a quota.

If a candidate gets a quota or more, they will be elected. If they do not meet this quota on first preference votes alone, they may get a quota from preferential votes distributed from the candidates with fewer first preference votes who are eliminated. This process continues until all vacant positions are filled.

To vote correctly on the ballot paper, you need to number at least 5 boxes in the order of your choice:

1. Write the number 1 in the box next to the candidate who is your first choice.
2. Write the number 2 in the box next to the candidate who is your second choice.
3. Continue writing the numbers 3, 4, 5 to choose 5 candidates to elect in each electorate.
4. You can keep numbering all the candidates if you want. If you only want to write 1 next to one candidate that you prefer, your vote still counts.

Informal Votes

A ballot paper that has not been filled out correctly is known as an informal vote. Informal votes cannot be counted toward the election result. A ballot paper can be considered informal when someone:

• Puts ticks, crosses, or any other symbol in the boxes
• Does not number enough boxes
• Misses or repeats numbers
• Leaves the ballot paper blank.

Making a Mistake

It is okay if you make a mistake on your ballot paper. You can cross it out and put the correct number next to it.

If you are worried the ACT Electoral Commission will not be able to understand your corrections, you can return your ballot paper to the election staff and ask for a new one.

If you damage or tear your ballot paper, you can return it to the election staff and ask for a new one.

You can also ask for help to fill out your ballot paper.

Your Vote is Your Choice Alone

It is important to know that only you can decide who you vote for. Other people can suggest who to vote for but cannot force you to vote how they want. While your name will be checked against a roll before you vote, your vote is anonymous and secret after you cast it.

It is your choice if you want to tell other people whom you voted for. No one can force you to tell them, not even government officials. If you feel unsafe or pressured, it is not illegal to lie about who you voted for and no one will ever be able to find out because your vote is secret.