What responsibility do Australians have to vote?

The responsibility of Australians to vote is one of the most distinctive obligations of citizenship in Australia, set out in the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 and equivalent state legislation. Voting is compulsory in federal elections and in the elections of every Australian state and territory, with fines for non-voting that typically range from 20 to 80 dollars.

Compulsory voting was introduced for federal elections in 1924, when turnout had fallen to 58 per cent and the Bruce-Page government wanted to ensure a more representative result. The change lifted turnout immediately to over 90 per cent and it has remained there ever since. Australia is one of about 22 countries worldwide with compulsory voting, and one of only about a dozen that actively enforces it. The Australian Electoral Commission writes to every elector who does not vote at a federal election, asking them to provide a valid reason or pay the fine.

Australian citizens aged 18 or over must be enrolled on the electoral roll and must vote at every election they are eligible to vote in. Enrolment can be done online through the AEC website using a driver's licence or passport, by post, or in person at any AEC office. The roll is updated automatically when an elector changes address through Services Australia, the ATO, or other federal agencies. Failure to enrol is also an offence, with fines of around 20 dollars for first offences.

Voting can be done in several ways. Most Australians vote in person at a polling place on election day, which is always a Saturday for federal elections. Pre-poll voting is available at AEC offices and early voting centres for the two to three weeks before an election. Postal voting is available on request. Mobile voting teams visit hospitals, aged care facilities, prisons, and remote communities. Australians overseas can vote at most diplomatic missions or by post. About 92 per cent of enrolled voters typically cast a formal vote at federal elections, one of the highest turnouts in the world.