Australia offers more ways to vote than most countries in the world.
Ways to vote
- Vote before the day of the election at a local polling booth from Tuesday 22 April 2025
- If you’re overseas during the federal election, you may be able to vote at an Australian Embassy or High Commission or by post.
- If you can’t get to a polling booth to vote on election day, you may be eligible for a postal vote. Applications open once an election is announced and close at 6pm on the Wednesday before election day. Your postal vote must be completed on or before election day and must be returned no later than 13 days after the election.
- Mobile polling teams will visit voters less able to get to a polling booth.
- Telephone voting is available to people with low vision or in Antarctica.
- Vote on Election Day – Saturday 3 May from 8am – 6pm. Expected election day polling places.
Australian Election Commission – election timetable
You will be given two ballot papers:
- A small green one for the House of Representatives (Lower House) listing all candidates who want to represent your electorate
- A large white one for the Senate (Upper House) listing all candidates from all over NSW competing for one of the 6 places available.
Voting for the House of Representatives (Lower House) – green paper
Put a number 1 in the square next to the candidate you want to elect first, 2 in the box beside your second choice and so on. You need to number every box to make your vote count.
Voting for the Senate (Upper House) – white paper
The large ballot paper has a thick line running across it, with voting squares for parties above the line and columns of candidates’ names and voting squares below it. You must vote either above the line for six parties or below the line for at least 12 individual candidates in order of your preference.
Hint: Voting for the senate above the line is like voting for an album whereas voting below the line is like voting for a song.
The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) has developed interactive practise voting tools to explain the easiest way to make sure your vote counts in the federal election. Practice voting here.
See also: Preferential voting explained
For more information go to the NSW Electoral Commission
Major parties do not need a majority in parliament to get things done. See Political parties and independents.
Voting for smaller parties and Independents is a perfectly valid use of your vote. It sends a powerful message to the major parties that they need to do better. Because of our preferential voting system, your vote will still contribute to the election outcome. Your first choice may be elected, but if not, your vote will still flow to your preferred major party.
If your preference is for smaller parties or Independents, vote for them first. Make sure that you also nominate your preferred major party on your ballot paper if you want to keep the other major party out.