Postal voting

In the lead up to an ACT election you can apply for a postal vote.

Eligibility

To apply for a postal vote, you must be either:

• unable to attend an ACT early voting centre or polling place between 8 October and 19 October 2024, or
• registered as a silent elector with a suppressed address.

Read about silent electors on the Australian Electoral Commission website.

If you’re vision impaired or blind and can’t make it to an early voting centre to vote by computer, there are other ways to vote.

Read information for people with a disability.

If you are registered as a general postal voter, you'll automatically receive postal voting material. You do not need to apply again for this election.

When to apply for a postal vote

You can apply for a postal vote now.

Overseas applications

If you already know you’re going to be overseas any time between 8 October and 19 October 2024, we strongly suggest you vote at an early voting centre.

Read about early voting centres.

If you need to vote by post and have an international delivery address for receipt of your postal vote material, you can apply now to make sure your papers reach you in time.

We will use an international courier service to deliver your postal voting pack to your nominated overseas address.

If you apply before 30 September, we will send papers to you from the first day of voting, 30 September 2024.

It is expected that for most countries, delivery will occur within one week.  Where it is safe to do so, the international courier is authorised to leave your postal vote pack at your requested overseas address without requiring a signature. Your pack will contain details about how to return your vote to us.

Postal vote applications with a delivery to an overseas address must be submitted by 5pm on Friday, 11 October 2024.

Read about overseas voting.

Interstate applications

We must receive your application by 5pm on Thursday 17 October 2024.

If you’re interstate, you can still vote early in person at the capital city office of the local electoral commission in the state or territory you’re in, up until the end of business hours on Friday 18 October 2024.

For specific opening hours and addresses, visit the website for the relevant electoral commission.

Read about interstate voting.

ACT applications

We must receive your application by 5pm on Thursday 17 October 2024.

If you’re in the ACT, you can still vote early in person up until 8pm on Friday 18 October 2024.

Read about early voting centres.

Apply for a postal vote

You can apply for yourself, or you can apply on behalf of another person if you have their authorisation to do so.

After we get the application, we will mail your postal voting papers to the nominated address.

The earliest we can mail you ballot papers is 30 September 2024.

You can apply for a postal vote in 2 ways.

Apply online

Read how Access Canberra uses the information collected on webforms.

Apply by phone

1. Call 02 6205 0033.
2. A member of the Elections ACT call centre team will find your enrolment record.
3. They’ll ask you for the address you want your ballot papers sent to.
4. They’ll ask you to set up a security question that only you know the answer to. You’ll need to supply the answer when you post back your ballot papers.

Applying for someone else

If you’re applying for someone else, that person should be available to choose the security question and answer.

If this isn’t possible, you can still lodge the application without setting the security question. However, the use of a security question is recommended. The answer to the established question may be used to provide assurance that the vote was completed by the eligible elector. Not establishing a security question will increase the risk of the vote being rejected from the election count.

What you’ll receive

When you apply for a postal vote, Elections ACT will send you:

• a postal vote envelope for signing and to answer your security question
• a ballot paper
• a reply-paid envelope
• an instruction sheet including a QR code to an instruction video.

Vote by post

To be counted, your completed postal vote must be postmarked before election day - 19 October 2024.

It must reach Elections ACT by Friday 25 October 2024.

1. Follow the instructions to make sure you fill in your ballot paper clearly and correctly.
2. Fold the ballot paper so it fits in the postal vote envelope.
3. Seal the postal vote envelope but don’t remove the declaration flap. Election officials need to see your signature and security question answer but then they’ll remove it so your vote can’t be attributed to you.
4. Sign and date the postal vote envelope.
5. Enter your date of birth and a contact phone number.
6. Answer the security question. If this section displays ‘not applicable’ then you don’t need to write anything.
7. Put the sealed and completed postal vote envelope inside the reply-paid envelope.
8. Put it in the mail as soon as possible to make sure it gets back to Elections ACT by Friday 25 October 2024.

Register as a general postal voter

If you register as a general postal voter, you’ll automatically receive postal voting material at every ACT and federal election.

Eligibility

You can apply for registration if you:

• are a patient in a hospital, nursing home or similar institution that doesn’t have mobile polling facilities and you are too ill or infirm to travel
• live at home and are too ill or infirm to travel
• are caring for a seriously ill or infirm person
• are detained in lawful custody (for example, serving a prison sentence)
• have a physical disability which prevents you from signing your name and provided or can provide, a doctor's certificate stating so
• live more than 20 km from a polling place
• are registered as on overseas elector
• are a silent elector
• have religious beliefs which prevent you from attending a polling place
• are member of the Australian defence forces, or a Defence civilian serving outside Australia
• are an Australian Federal Police officer or staff member serving outside Australia.

To register and for more information visit the Australian Electoral Commission's website.