Fact sheet - Electoral information for families and carers

This information about enrolment and voting processes is for families and carers of people with disability in the ACT.

The ACT Electoral Commission (Elections ACT) is committed to providing services to help all eligible electors in the ACT to participate in the electoral process.

Carers and families are encouraged to discuss enrolment and voting, where possible, with any person they are caring for if they consider that the person may be eligible to vote.

Voting is a protected human right under the Human Rights Act 2004 and people with disability have the same right to participate in the electoral process as every other Australian citizen but may require support to do so. For example, a person who cannot read and/or write may still be able to enrol and vote and wish to do so.

Enrolment

Who must enrol to vote?

In Australia, the law says that if you are entitled to be enrolled, then you must enrol. With the right to enrol and vote comes the responsibility to contribute to the way the ACT and the country is governed.

However, a person who does not have the capacity to understand the nature and significance of enrolment and voting may not be entitled to enrol to vote.

How can a person in your care check to see whether they are enrolled?

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

If the person in your care is already enrolled, it is important to note that the electoral roll for an ACT Legislative Assembly election closes to any changes, 36 days before election day. This means that if a person has recently changed address, an update to the details on the electoral roll must occur before 6pm, 13 September 2024. If a person you care for is not on the electoral roll at all, they can enrol at any time before election day and still vote in the election.

What can you do if you consider a person you care for is entitled to vote but they are not enrolled?

Enrolment forms can be completed online at www.aec.gov.au/enrol. The applicant must be able to prove their identity by uploading a copy of their driver’s licence, Australian passport or Medicare card. Alternatively , a person who is on the electoral roll can confirm the identity of the applicant. To complete this form online the person providing confirmation of identity will also need to provide evidence of their own identity.

Paper forms can be downloaded and printed or requested by phoning Elections ACT on (02) 6205 0033.

Paper enrolment forms are required to be signed by the applicant. If the person you care for is unable to sign their name, you or another person may be able to sign on their behalf. However, a special enrolment form is required to nominate the alternate person to sign, and a doctor's certificate Must be provided as evidence that the person is unable to sign documents themselves. This form can be found at www.aec.gov.au

After completing an enrolment form, the person will be included on the electoral roll and will be eligible to vote for any of the federal and Territory elections in the ACT.

What can you do if a person you care for, is enrolled to vote but, they do not sufficiently understand the nature and significance of enrolment and voting?

An elector may be removed from the electoral roll where a registered medical practitioner has certified in writing that the person is incapable of understanding the nature and significance of enrolment and voting because of 'cognitive impairment'. If a person who you care for needs to be removed from the roll, you can lodge an Objection Claim Form along with a medical practitioner's certificate with the Australian Electoral Commission. The person will then be removed from the electoral roll and will not be required to vote at federal or Territory elections.

To access the objection claim form, visit: www.aec.gov.au

Voting

Who must vote?

Voting in federal and Territory elections is compulsory for those who are on the electoral roll.

If an enrolled citizen fails to vote and is unable to provide a valid reason for not voting, a penalty may be imposed.

If the person I care for has accessibility issues and cannot attend a polling booth, how can they vote?

Postal voting is available for anyone who is unable to attend a polling place. Applications for a postal vote can be made online or by calling (02) 6205 0033.

An application for a one-off postal vote can be made by the elector or by someone acting on their behalf if the elector has authorised them to do so. Applications for a postal vote can be made online at www.elections.act.gov.au or by calling 6205 0033.

Alternatively, the person in your care could apply to be registered as a General Postal Voter. Registration as a general postal voter means the elector will automatically be sent postal voting material as soon as possible after pre-poll voting commences for each federal and Territory election.

The application form to register as a general postal voter is available at www.aec.gov.au.

Can a person in my care receive assistance to vote?

Yes. If you can go to a polling place, the elector can either nominate a family member or friend to help them vote, or a polling official can assist also.

Alternatively, you can assist the person in your care to vote by post. If required, you can apply for a postal vote on their behalf and assist them to complete their postal vote if they request you to do so.

Where can, or the person in my care, find important electoral information?

Elections ACT develops a brochure that contains all the important electoral information required for each ACT election. The brochure is distributed to all households in the ACT in an election year and is also available in audio format on our website and in ACT libraries.

An Easy English Guide is also available to assist people with low literacy levels. The guide provides key information about enrolment and voting in the ACT in a concise and understandable way. Ideally, it would be read as a shared activity between the reader and someone such as a friend, family member or carer. This allows concepts to be explained and questions answered.

Some election materials are also translated into different languages to assist voters coming from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. This includes the instruction screens for electronic voting.

Need more information?

For all enquiries about voting, visit the Election’s ACT website www.elections.act.gov.au or call (02) 6205 0033.

Elections ACT
Level 6 221 London Circuit, Canberra City, ACT 2601
(02) 6205 0033
www.elections.act.gov.au

If you are deaf, or have a hearing or speech impairment, you can contact Elections ACT through the National Relay Service. Call 13 36 77 and then ask for (02) 6205 0033.