With a federal election called for May 21st, voters only have a short period of time before heading to the polls. Whether you are voting for the first time, or need to update your info since moving to or within Canberra, Woroni has put together a guide for all your enrolment needs.

When is the deadline for this election? 

If you need to enrol for the first time or update your details, the deadline for doing so is 8pm local time Monday, 18th April 2022, in six days. Enrolling before this deadline is essential to vote in the upcoming federal election, held on the 21st May, 2022.

Who votes in federal elections?

Any Australian citizen aged 18 years or older as of the 21st of May 2022, and have lived at your address for at least a month is eligible to vote. This means you are entitled to elect federal representatives (both a local member and Senators), as well as State or Territory representatives according to where you live. 

For citizens in temporary accommodation or experiencing homelessness, there are voting opportunities available, listed here.

Notably, in Australia, it is compulsory to vote in federal elections, meaning that if you fail to enrol or to vote, without a reasonable excuse, you will be fined $20.

How do I enrol?

In Australia, enrolling to vote is conducted online through the Australian Electoral Commission website. Before enrolling to vote, it is important to check if you are already enrolled. You can do this by entering your details here.

In order to enrol online, you will need either a driver’s licence, an Australian passport, or have someone who is already enrolled verify your identity. To enrol online, use this form. 

How do I change my enrolment details?

If you have lived at a new address for one month or longer, you are eligible to update your details on the electoral roll. Many students at the ANU live between Canberra accommodation and a family home. In cases of more than one residence, the AEC recommends you update your address if you are not planning to return to residing permanently at a previous address. 

This means students who do not plan on returning to live at their family home in the future should update their address, while students who are planning to return are not required to (but may if they choose to). It is important to ensure you do not enrol to vote from two different addresses. If you need to update your enrolment details, you can do so here. 

If you are unable to visit a polling booth in your place of enrolment on election day, you can apply for a postal ballot online, vote at a nominated interstate voting centre, or vote early in your nominated electorate. More information about these options can be found here.

This article forms part of Woroni’s Federal Election series. Further explainers on how to vote will be published closer to election day.