An Australian citizen who is at least 18 years of age is entitled to enrol to vote, and entitled to vote, in a Federal election [Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 (Cth) s 93(1), (2)].

A person who would otherwise be eligible will not be permitted to enrol or vote in a Federal election if they:

It is compulsory for a person who is entitled to be enrolled to vote in a Federal election to enrol and to keep their enrolment details up to date [s 101]. Failure to enrol or keep enrolment details up to date is an offence with a maximum penalty of 1 penalty unit ($330 as at 7 November 2024) [s 101(6)]. A person aged 16 or 17 may (but is not required to) enrol to ensure they are enrolled when they turn 18 [s 100].

Enrolment is managed by the Australian Electoral Commission. When a person enrols to vote in a Federal election, they will automatically be enrolled to vote in their State or Territory elections and local government elections.

There are special enrolment options for people with particular needs or whose circumstances may affect their enrolment. This includes the option to register as a silent elector available to persons who believe having their address on the publicly available electoral roll may place them or their family at risk.

Failure to vote

It is compulsory for a person who is enrolled and entitled to vote in a Federal election to vote in every Federal election [s 245(1)]. It is an offence to fail to vote without a valid and sufficient reason [s 245(15), (15B)]. The maximum penalty for failing to vote is 1 penalty unit ($330 as at 7 November 2024). In practice, after each Federal election the Australian Electoral Commission will send out a penalty notice to those who have failed to vote, asking them to:

If the Electoral Commission is satisfied that an elector did in fact vote, or had a valid and sufficient reason not to, or paid the $20 penalty, no further action will be taken against the elector [s 245(8)]. Otherwise, an elector may be prosecuted in court and, if found guilty, may be liable to a penalty of up to $330 plus court costs. See the Australian Electoral Commission's Electoral Backgrounder on Compulsory Voting for more information about failing to vote, including what might amount to a valid and sufficient reason.

For other information about voting in Federal elections and to check and update enrolment details, visit the Australian Electoral Commission website.