How postal voting works

The short answer

How postal voting works

Postal voting in Australian federal elections allows you to vote by mail when you cannot attend a polling place in person. You must apply through the Australian Electoral Commission and meet specific eligibility criteria, such as being more than 20 kilometres from a polling place, being seriously ill or infirm, or being unable to leave your workplace on election day. Once your application is approved, you receive a postal vote pack containing ballot papers, a postal vote certificate and return envelopes. You must complete your ballot papers in the presence of an authorised witness, sign the postal vote certificate, and return the completed materials so that they are received by the AEC no later than 13 days after election day. Late postal votes cannot be included in the count.

This guide explains the federal position first. State, territory and local elections can use different rules, dates and ballot systems, so the commission named on your election material is the final operational source.

The useful question is not only “what is the rule?” but also “who administers it, which document controls it, and when might it change?” That distinction prevents an accurate general explanation from becoming wrong advice in a particular election, chamber or policy setting.

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Who can apply for a postal vote

The Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 sets out the grounds on which an elector may apply for a postal vote. You are eligible if on election day you will be outside the state or territory for which you are enrolled, or more than 20 kilometres by the shortest practical route from any polling place. Other grounds include serious illness, infirmity or disability, advanced pregnancy, caring for a person who is seriously ill or infirm, religious objection to attending a polling place, being detained in custody while still eligible to vote, or being unable to leave your workplace. Silent electors, those whose address is not shown on the roll for safety reasons, may also apply. You must already be on the electoral roll to use a postal vote. If you are not enrolled when an election is announced, you cannot apply because the roll closes shortly after the writs are issued.

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How to apply and key deadlines

Postal vote applications open the day after the election writ is issued. You can apply online through the AEC website, by completing a paper form available at any AEC office, or by contacting the AEC by telephone. The application requires your enrolment details and the reason you are applying. The AEC verifies your eligibility against the roll and, if approved, mails your postal vote pack to your nominated address. Applications for a postal vote close at 6 pm local time on the Wednesday before election day. This is a strict statutory deadline and the AEC cannot accept applications received after that time. It is important to apply as early as possible because postal ballot papers are printed after the close of candidate nominations and mail delivery times vary by location. The AEC recommends applying at least two weeks before election day if you are within Australia, and earlier if you are overseas.

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What the postal vote pack contains

Once your application is approved, you receive a postal vote pack containing a House of Representatives ballot paper, a Senate ballot paper, a postal vote certificate, and two return envelopes. The postal vote certificate is a declaration that you must sign in the presence of an authorised witness. The witness must also sign the certificate and state their qualification, such as citizenship, permanent residency, or being on the electoral roll. The two envelopes include one marked for the ballot papers and an outer envelope bearing the address to which the completed vote must be returned. The AEC prints a unique identifier on each postal vote certificate that allows electoral officials to cross-reference your vote against the roll without breaching the secrecy of the ballot. The ballot papers themselves are separated from the certificate before counting begins.

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Completing and witnessing your postal vote

You must complete your ballot papers according to the instructions printed on them. For the House of Representatives, number every box in the order of your preference. For the Senate, you may vote above the line by numbering at least six boxes, or below the line by numbering at least 12 boxes. The ballot papers must be placed in the ballot-paper envelope and sealed. You must then sign the postal vote certificate in the presence of an authorised witness, who must also sign. An authorised witness may be a person enrolled on the Commonwealth electoral roll, or a person who is not enrolled but is an Australian citizen or a permanent resident. The witness must not be a candidate in the election. Once the certificate is signed and witnessed, place it together with the sealed ballot-paper envelope into the pre-addressed return envelope and seal it. Your vote must be completed on or before election day and the date on which you completed it must be written on the certificate.

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Returning your postal vote

Postal votes must be received by the AEC no later than 13 days after election day to be included in the count. You can return your completed postal vote by mail using the pre-addressed envelope, which is postage-paid within Australia. If you are overseas, you are responsible for any postage costs unless you use an Australian diplomatic mission that accepts postal votes for onward transmission. Postal votes can also be handed in at any AEC divisional office or at any polling place in your state or territory on election day. This option is useful if you applied for a postal vote but later find you can attend a polling place. The AEC progressively processes postal votes as they are received during the 13-day period after election day, which is why election results in close seats can change during this window. Votes received after the 13-day deadline are not counted.

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What happens if your postal vote does not arrive or is rejected

The AEC mails postal vote packs to the address you nominate in your application. If your pack does not arrive, contact the AEC as soon as possible. In some cases a replacement pack may be issued. If you do not receive your postal vote in time and cannot attend a polling place, you may not be able to vote in that election. A postal vote may be rejected during preliminary scrutiny if the postal vote certificate has not been signed, if the witness has not signed, if the voter's details on the certificate do not match the roll, or if the vote was received after the 13-day deadline. The AEC makes multiple attempts to contact electors whose postal votes may have a curable defect, such as a missing signature. Rejected postal votes are set aside and not admitted to the count. The total number of postal votes issued, returned and rejected is published in the AEC's post-election statistics.

Common questions

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