Interstate at election time?

Updated 26 May 2023

If you cannot get to a polling place during the three week voting period because you will be interstate, there are a number of other options available to you.

Early voting centres

Early voting is available between Monday 28 September and Friday 16 October 2020 at 15 Early Voting Centres across the ACT.

At this year’s election, all ACT electors are eligible to vote during the three week voting period.

Early voting centres will be open from 9 am to 5 pm seven days a week (with extended hours 9 am to 8 pm on Fridays) during the early voting period. Early voting centres are located in town or suburban centres close to local shopping facilities so that voters can access voting services during regular outings. At each voting location, a range of safety measures will be in place to minimise risk of COVID-19 transmission.

26 Benham Street, (next to ALDI carpark). electronic voting centreAssisted wheelchair accessAccessibility details

Flynn Community Hub, 21 Bingle Street (Enter from Hedland Circuit). electronic voting centreAssisted wheelchair access Accessibility details

Ground Floor, Ruby Apartments, 8 Gribble Street. electronic voting centreAssisted wheelchair accessAccessibility details

Gungahlin Enclosed Oval, Warwick Street (enter from Crinigan Circuit). electronic voting centreAssisted wheelchair accessAccessibility details

Holt Community Centre, 80 Beaurepaire Crescent (at rear of building). electronic voting centreAssisted wheelchair accessAccessibility details

Manuka Village, 33 Bougainville Street. electronic voting centreAssisted wheelchair access Accessibility details

Bonner House, Neptune Street (former ISHKA store) electronic voting centreAssisted wheelchair accessAccessibility details

Interstate voting centres

Between 28 September 2020 and 16 October 2020, voting at interstate voting centres is available at most capital city offices of State and Northern Territory electoral commissions (except in New South Wales and Victoria).  Interstate voting centres are open during normal business hours and are not open on weekends or on relevant State or Territory public holidays.

Interstate polling centres are NOT open on election day (17 October 2020).

Follow the links to the electoral commission’s website below for contact details.

NTNorthern Territory , Level 3, TCG Centre, 80 Mitchell Street, , DARWIN. Assisted wheelchair access

QldQueensland , Level 20, 1 Eagle St, , BRISBANE. Assisted wheelchair access

SASouth Australia , Level 6, 60 Light Square, , ADELAIDE. Assisted wheelchair access

TASTasmania , Level 3, TasWater Centre, 169 Main Road, , MOONAH. Assisted wheelchair access

WAWestern Australia , Level 2 AXA Centre, 111 St George's Terrace, , PERTH. Assisted wheelchair access

Assisted wheelchair access
Full wheelchair access

Postal voting

You may apply for a postal vote if:

  • You are unable to vote at an ACT polling place or an early voting centre; and/or
  • You are registered as an elector with a supressed address.

You can apply for a postal vote for the 2020 ACT election in two ways:

Postal vote applications can be made either for yourself or on behalf of someone else (as long as that person has authorised you to do so and the person is eligible to apply for a postal vote).

It is important to apply as early as you can to ensure your ballot papers are able to reach you in time.

Please notethe earliest Elections ACT is able to send your ballot papers for the ACT Legislative Assembly election is 28 September 2020. If you apply before this date, your application will be held, ready to go, with ballot papers sent to your nominated address on 28 September 2020.

If you have not yet applied for a postal vote and you are interstate, your application must be received by 5pm on Thursday 15 October 2020You may still vote early in person at the capital city office of the local state or Northern Territory electoral commission (except in New South Wales and Victoria) during normal business hours until 5.00pm on Friday 16 October 2020.

If you have not yet applied for a postal vote and you are in the ACT, your application must be received by 5.00pm on Thursday 15 October 2020. You can still vote early in person at any of the fifteen  early voting centres located in the ACT.

It is important that the postal address you provide on the application form is an address where ballot papers will reach you up to 16 October 2020.

To be counted, you must have voted on or before 17 October 2020 and your completed postal vote must reach Elections ACT by Friday 23 October 2020.

Unable to postal vote or pre-poll?

If you are unable to make it to an early voting centre and a postal vote does not suit your circumstances, it is important that you contact Elections ACT before election day to let us know you will not be able to vote.  If you have a valid and sufficient reason for failing to vote, you will not be fined.