aec.gov.au How to Vote : Australian Electoral Commission

Organisation : Australian Electoral Commission (aec.gov.au)
Facility : How to vote
Country : Australia

How to vote : http://www.aec.gov.au/Voting/How_to_Vote/
Home Page : http://aec.gov.au/

How to vote :
All Australian citizens over the age of 18 who are enrolled to vote, elect people to represent them in the two houses of the Commonwealth Parliament – the Senate and the House of Representatives.

How to make your vote count (fact sheet) : http://www.aec.gov.au/Voting/How_to_vote/how_to_vote.htm

How to make your vote count (fact sheet) :
How to make your vote count for the House of Representatives :
** On election day you will receive a green ballot paper for the House of Representatives.
** Don’t worry if you make a mistake. You can ask for another ballot paper and start again.
** Number every box on your green ballot paper
** On the green ballot paper, you need to put a ‘1’ in the box beside the candidate who is your first choice, ‘2’ in the box beside your second choice and so on, until you have numbered every box.
** You must number every box for your vote to count.

How to make your vote count for the Senate :
** On election day you will receive a white ballot paper for the Senate.
** On the white ballot paper you have a choice of two ways to vote:

EITHER
Above the line :
** Put a ‘1’ in the box above the line for the party or group of your choice.
** By doing this, you are using the numbering that group has made below the line on its ‘group voting ticket’.

OR

Below the line :
** Number every box in the order of your choice below the line.
** If you choose to vote below the line you need to number every box in the order of your choice.

What is a group voting ticket? :
** Before an election, parties and groups give ‘group voting tickets’ to the AEC that show their numbering below the line.
** You can see the ‘group voting tickets’ in the weeks before election day at aec.gov.au/gvt.
** You can also see ‘group voting tickets’ when you vote on election day. Just ask a polling official.

Referendum :
At a referendum, you will receive a ballot paper with the proposed alteration to the Constitution on it, followed by a question asking if you approve the proposed alteration.

On the referendum ballot paper, you need to indicate your vote by clearly writing:
‘YES’ in the box if you approve the proposed alteration

OR

‘NO’ in the box if you do not approve the proposed alteration.

Don’t worry if you make a mistake. You can ask for another ballot paper and start again.

The House of Representatives :
** Australia is divided into areas called electoral divisions.
** Voters in each electoral division cast a vote to elect one person (a Member of Parliament) to represent them in the House of Representatives.

How to vote for a Member of the House of Representatives : http://www.aec.gov.au/Voting/How_to_Vote/Voting_HOR.htm
Practise voting for the House of Representatives : http://www.aec.gov.au/Voting/How_to_vote/practice/practice-house-of-reps.htm

The Senate :
** Voters in each state and territory elect Senators to represent them in the Senate.
** States have 12 Senators and the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory each have 2 Senators

How to vote for the Senate : http://www.aec.gov.au/Voting/How_to_Vote/Voting_Senate.htm
Practise voting for the Senate : http://www.aec.gov.au/Voting/How_to_vote/practice/practice-senate.htm