Fact sheet - Enrolment and voting for people with a disability

Updated 17 Jan 2024
The ACT Electoral Commission (Elections ACT) wants to make sure you can take part in voting.

Enrolment

Who must enrol to vote?

In Australia, if you are over 18 years of age and an Australian citizen the law says you must enrol to vote.

How do I check if I am enrolled?

Enrolment details can be checked on the Elections ACT website www.elections.act.gov.au or by calling (02) 6205 0033.

How do I enrol?

You can enrol online at www.aec.gov.au/enrol.  You must have an Australian passport or driver’s licence as proof of identity to enrol online.

If you do not have either of these documents, then a person who is already on the electoral roll can confirm your identity. You will need a paper enrolment form to do this. You need to call Elections ACT on (02) 6205 0033 to get a paper form or download a print a copy from www.aec.gov.au/enrol.

When you have completed an enrolment form, you will be on the electoral roll and able to vote in federal elections and ACT Legislative Assembly elections.

2020 Election Roll Close

If you are already on the electoral roll, the electoral roll for an ACT Legislative Assembly election closes to any changes, 36 days before election day. This means that if you have recently changed address, an update to your details on the electoral roll must occur before 6pm, 11 September 2020. If you are not on the electoral roll at all, you can enrol at any time before election day and still vote in the election.

How do I enrol if I cannot sign my name?

If you cannot sign your name, another person you trust can sign on your behalf. You will need to get a doctor’s certificate saying you are unable to sign your name. You need to fill in a form from this webpage:   www.aec.gov.au/Enrolling_to_vote/Special_Category/Electors_unable_to_sign_their_name.htm

Voting

Who must vote?

If you are on the electoral roll you must vote.

If you are enrolled and do not vote and you do not provide a valid reason for not voting, you may be fined.

How can I vote at a polling place if I have a disability?

There is a list on the Elections ACT website listing all polling places. It shows if a polling place is fully accessible, has assisted accessibility or has no accessibility.  We will also send a brochure to all homes before the election with this information.

Every polling place has a voting booth for wheelchair users.

Electronic voting is available at all early voting centres for three weeks before an election. Electronic voting allows voters who are blind or have a visual impairment to vote independently. Audio allows voters to navigate through the electronic voting system unassisted and in secret.

Can I vote from home?

Yes. There are two ways in which you may cast a vote from home if you are eligible to do so.

1. Postal voting

You can register for a postal vote online or by calling (02) 6205 0033. You can also give permission for someone to register you as a postal voter on your behalf.

If you want to postal vote every election, you can register as a general postal voter. A postal ballot will be sent to you as soon as voting begins for each federal and Territory election. You can register online as a General Postal Voter: www.aec.gov.au/Enrolling_to_vote/pdf/forms/general_postal/er022gw-act.pdf

2. Telephone voting

Telephone voting is available for voters who are blind or visually impaired who cannot or would prefer not to go to an early voting centre. Electors with a physical disability which makes it difficult to attend a polling place or vote by postal vote, may also be eligible to apply to vote over the telephone.

Audio directions allows voters to navigate through the telephone voting system unassisted and in secret.  You do not have to tell your vote to a person on the other end of the phone.

You must register to use telephone voting before you can cast a telephone vote. Registration will be open from 28 September 2020 until the last day for voting, 17 October 2020.

Can I receive help to vote?

When you vote at a polling place, you may ask someone you trust to help you to complete your vote. You can also ask a polling official to help you.

Where can I find important information at election time?

Elections ACT has a brochure that contains all the important electoral information needed for each Legislative Assembly election.  We will send the brochure to all houses at election time. It will also be available in audio format on our website and in ACT libraries.

An Easy English guide, ‘Vote in the ACT election’ is available online or in hardcopy from the Elections ACT office. The guide provides information about enrolment and voting in a way that is easy to read and understand.

Some election materials are translated into different languages to help voters from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

Need more information?

If you have a question about voting, you can:

  • visit the Election’s ACT website www.elections.act.gov.au
  • phone (02) 6205 0033
  • or visit our office at Level 6, 221 London Circuit, Canberra City ACT 2601

National Relay Service Speak and Listen: phone 1300 555 727 and ask for (02) 6205 0033

ACT Interpreter Service for the deaf and blind: phone (02) 6287 4391