Applying for a postal vote
To vote by mail, you can apply to vote by post in the 2023 State election from Monday, 16 January 2023 until Monday, 20 March 2023. The NSW Electoral Commission a will send you a ballot pack by mail that you will need to post back to them. Postal voting is free.
You can apply
- online
- by completing and sending an application in the post.
- register as a general postal voter. General postal voters do not need to apply for a postal vote as they will be sent ballot papers automatically.
More details on how to apply will be published closer to the election. For more information see here.
What are the deadlines?
- We must receive your application at the NSW Electoral Commission by 18:00 on the Monday before election day.
- The NSW election manager must receive your completed ballot papers by 18:00 on the Wednesday after election day.
Am I eligible?
You can apply if you:
- will be outside NSW
- will be more than 8km from a voting centre on election day
- will be travelling and unable to attend a voting centre on election day
- have serious illness or condition that prevents you from attending a voting centre on election day
- are approaching maternity
- have religious membership or beliefs that prevent you from attending a voting centre on election day
- are in a correctional centre and prevented from attending a voting centre on election day
- are caring for a person outside of a hospital setting, which prevents you from attending a voting centre on election day
- will be working on election day
- are a silent elector
- are a person with a disability
- believe that attending a voting centre on election day will place your personal safety or the safety of your family at risk.
Voting by postal vote
You will be sent two ballot papers, a pamphlet telling you what to do, and an envelope.
You should fill out the election ballot papers in secret. You can ask someone to help you, but this person should not tell you who to vote for and must not tell anyone how you voted without your consent.
Once you have filled out the two ballot papers, put them in the envelope and seal it. Post the envelope as soon as you can. You don’t need a stamp.
