If you’re over 18 and an Australian citizen, enrolling and voting is compulsory. Young people with disability, including those with intellectual disability, have the same right to vote as everyone else. They can have support to vote, and there are many accessible options.
Enrol to vote in the upcoming election
You can help your young person enrol. If they are 18 or older and haven’t enrolled yet, they can enrol on the spot when they go to vote at an early voting centre or an election day voting centre.
They will need one form of ID: their Medicare card details, a citizenship number, a passport number, or a driver’s license number. If they don’t have these, someone who is already enrolled can confirm their identity.
Enrol to vote in future elections
Alternatively, you can help your young person enrol now to be ready for the next election. They won’t be fined for past elections they couldn’t vote in.
They can enrol online or on a paper form. There’s a different form for people who can’t sign their name because of physical disability. People with disability and carers may also be able to register as a general postal voter. This means your ballot is posted to you for every election.
If someone can’t understand enrolment or voting
Even with support, some people can’t understand enrolment and voting. They can be exempt, which means they don’t have to vote. You need to complete a form that has a section for a doctor or psychologist to complete. The Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC) will then write to your young person to check they agree.
Getting ready to vote
The VEC supports voter education for people with disabilities with:
- Easy English Guides: explain enrolling to vote, why voting is important and how to vote, with a step-by-step guide to filling out the ballot papers for the upcoming election
- ‘Voting is for everyone’ video: what happens at a voting centre and interviews with people with disabilities talking about issues important to them
- Guide for families, carers and supporters: on supporting someone to vote
- Free voter education: schools and community organisations can book a session
Accessible voting options
Families, carers, supporters and voting centre staff can help your young person read and complete their ballot papers. All centres have magnifiers, maxi-pencils, accessible voting screens and additional seating. Early voting centres also have an assistive hearing device.
The VEC website has a wheelchair accessibility rating for every centre, plus an access guide for one early voting centre in each district (these are also open on election day). An access guide can help with preparing to visit a voting centre: it includes photos of the entrance and other key spaces, plus detailed accessibility and support information.
Other accessible options include:
- Early and postal voting
- Low sensory voting – one centre in each district will offer low sensory voting on Tuesday 17 November, 10 am to 4 pm
- Telephone-assisted voting for people who are blind, low vision or have a motor impairment from Wednesday 18 to Saturday 28 November – call 135 723 to register
- Large print and braille (for future elections) – email BrailleAndLargePrint@vec.vic.gov.au to register
Voting early
Anyone can vote early. Early voting centres are open 9 am to 6 pm from 18 to 27 November, except Sunday 22 November. Voting early can help you avoid busy times and choose a day when you or your young person’s support worker can help.
Postal voting
Anyone can vote from home by post. Apply online or get a paper form from any Australia Post outlet by 6 pm on Wednesday 25 November. Apply early, so the ballot pack arrives on time. For a postal vote to count, by 6 pm on election day, Saturday 28 November, you must:
- Drop it off at any early voting centre or election day voting centre
- Post it back to the VEC using the reply-paid envelope in the ballot pack
The VEC must receive your postal vote no later than Friday 4 December for it to count.
Useful Links
VEC: Easy English guides on voting
VEC: Accessible Voting Options
VEC: Disability access and inclusion, ‘Voting is for everyone’ video and carer guide
VEC: Get an exemption from voting (remove someone from the electoral roll)