As the 2025 federal election fast approaches, many Australians — especially first-time voters — may be a little confused about how the voting process works.
That's why SBS is explaining how to navigate the election system and what you have to do in order to cast your votes in the election.
It's "votes" plural because you'll be casting two ballots this election, one for the House of Representatives and the other for the Senate.
When and where should I be voting?
Typically, a majority of Australians will head to a local polling place on election day to cast their votes.
However this is not a requirement as, if you're unable to vote on election day itself, you're welcome to vote in-person in the two weeks leading up to the election or via a postal vote.
In fact, in the last federal election in 2022 half of voters decided to cast their ballots like this,
Kath Gleeson, acting deputy electoral commissioner at the Australian Electoral Commission, said you can find your local polling place on the AEC website.
"There's about 550 early voting centres across the country for the two weeks prior to polling day. We have postal voting that's available for people who can't get to an early voting centre or a polling place on polling day," she said.
"And then for people who are overseas, we have overseas voting available as well, either in the form of a postal vote or at an embassy or high commission overseas, and we'll have those listed on during the election period."
Australian federal election polling day in the seat of Mackellar in Sydney. Source: Getty / UCG / Universal Images Group
What do I do when I head in to cast my vote?
Once you get to your local polling place, you'll often see party workers outside campaigning for their particular candidate.
They might hand you 'how to vote' material which will explain how to vote for their candidate.
You aren't required to take that information but you can also take more than one if you like.
You'll then enter the polling place and an AEC issuing officer will ask for your name and whether you voted before in this election.
You'll then get handed both a green and a white ballot paper with instructions, and then will move to a cardboard voting booth where you can mark your ballot papers with your preferred candidates.
An empty polling booth in Sydney, Australia. Source: Getty / Cole Bennetts
What exactly am I voting for?
Many Australians think a federal election is a battle between the prime minister and federal Opposition leader: in this case, Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton.
But that's not really how Australian politics works.
The federal parliament is made up of two chambers: the House of Representatives and the Senate.
In this election, your votes will help elect the 48th Parliament of Australia, including all 150 members of the House of Representatives as well as 40 out of 76 members of the Senate.
The House of Representatives or lower house (Green) and the Senate or upper house (red) in federal parliament. Source: AAP, SBS
How do I fill out my ballots?
When you vote you'll first be faced with a green piece of paper where you can choose which candidate gets to represent your local district, or what's known as an electorate, in the House of Representatives.
Unless you are voting in Albanese's division of Grayndler or Dutton's division of Dickson you won't be seeing either political leader on your list of options.
On your green ballot paper you need to number every box next to each candidate in the order of your choice — that is called preferential voting.
Voters will have to number their preferred candidates on the green ballot paper for the House of Representatives and the white ballot paper for the Senate. Source: Getty / Bloomberg
When election workers are counting the votes, if no candidate wins a majority of support after all the first preferences are tallied, the second preferences are then counted, then third, fourth and so on until a winning candidate crosses that 50 per cent vote threshold.
Say, for example, you feel most aligned with a local independent candidate but would still prefer Party A to win your district over Party B.
You would number your independent candidate as your first choice and then number each following candidate in order of preference, with Party A coming before Party B.
What about the Senate ballot?
You will also be voting for a number of senators to represent your state or territory on a separate sheet of paper.
At the election, six of 12 Senate positions are up for grabs per state while the two Senate seats each in the Northern Territory and the ACT are also vacant.
"That voting process is a little different. It's a very large white ballot paper. You can vote above the line, and you can number up to six boxes, or more than six boxes above the line, or you can number 12 boxes or more below the line," Gleeson said.
The simpler option — voting above the line — means you have to number at least six boxes for parties or groups according to your preference.
The other option — voting below the line — means you have to number at least 12 boxes below the line for individual candidates of your choice who can be from a number of different parties.
Once you've completed both ballots, you'll fold your papers and you'll take them to the ballot box, and a ballot box guard will help make sure that you put the green ballot paper in the House of Representatives box and the white ballot paper in the Senate ballot box.
Then you can exit and pick up one of Australia's common election snacks, the humble democracy sausage.
Sausage sizzles, otherwise known as a 'democracy sausages', are provided at polling places across Australia. Source: AAP / Darren Pateman
But Gleeson says if you make a mistake on the day there is help available.
"That is absolutely okay and understandable. The Senate ballot paper in particular is quite complicated. So if you make a mistake, you can just go back to the issuing officer and say, 'I made a mistake. Can you please destroy this one and give me a new one?' And they'll do that," she said.
If you're not sure who your local candidates are or you'd like to use its practice voting tool you can also visit .
It is compulsory for all adult Australian citizens who are in the country during election day to vote in the federal election and if you fail to you could face a fine.
