Postal voting

Applying for a postal vote

To vote by mail, you will need to apply for a postal vote. You can apply for a postal vote:

• Online at www.aec.gov.au/pva (once the election has been announced)
• By completing a paper form and returning it to the AEC by post or to the AEC office (you can get this from any AEC office or by calling the AEC on 13 23 26 and asking them to send you a form)

You will need to answer some questions and provide the following information:

• The address where you are enrolled
• The address where you want the election ballot papers sent
• A security question and answer

Once you have successfully applied for a postal vote, you will receive your election ballot papers by mail.

Voting by postal vote

You will be sent two ballot papers, a pamphlet telling you what to do and an envelope.

You must find a witness to help you fill out your postal vote. A witness can be anyone who is enrolled to vote in Australia.

The witness must (in order):

• See your ballot papers and your postal vote envelope before you fill them out
• Watch you write the answer to your security question
• Watch you sign your name on the envelope
• Sign and date the envelope themselves

You should then 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 should not tell anyone how you voted.

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.