TRANSCRIPT
"Now, on the 3rd of May, you choose the way forward. Your vote has never been more important."
After months of speculation, a federal election has finally been called in Australia.
DUTTON: "Australians will have an opportunity."
ALBANESE: "A choice between Labor, committed to addressing cost-of-living pressures while building Australia's future..."
DUTTON: "...and a new, strong Coalition government to get our country back on track."
In SBS Voting 101 we will be explaining what that means for you, how the Australian voting system works and what it is that you're actually voting for.
In this episode we look at how to enrol to vote and where to go to update your voting details.
But firstly, you might be wondering if you're even required to vote in the first place.
Well, unlike the vast majority of countries around the world, Australia has a compulsory voting system.
This means just about all Australian citizens over the age of 18 are legally required to vote and must be enrolled within seven days of the writs being issued (which will happen on Monday 31st March).
Otherwise, you will miss out on a chance to have your say and could even face a fine.
You can enrol to vote at as early as 16-years-old and - if you know you'll be 18 at the time of the election - you should enrol now so you’ll be ready to vote.
"Australians who aren't yet 18 years of age or reside in Australia but aren't citizens will not be eligible to enrol or to vote."
That's Kath Gleeson, Deputy Commissioner at the Australian Electoral Commission, which is the independent body that runs Australia's federal elections.
She says there's only a small number of adult Australian citizens who are ineligible to vote.
"There are some categories of elector who are unable to vote perhaps due to a prison sentence for instance but eligibility rules and requirements are very clear on the AEC website and I encourage all Australians to check their eligibility if they're in doubt."
If you are eligible, the only exceptions for not voting in the election is if you're seriously ill or outside of the country on the date of the vote.
You can also attempt to submit what is known as a valid and sufficient reason to the AEC but that is something up to their discretion.
And if you are travelling abroad, you can still have your say if you plan ahead.
"You might be able to vote at an overseas embassy or high commission, or you can apply for a postal vote now at the AEC website at aec.gov.au."
Ok so, now you know whether or not you have to vote, let's take a look at how to enrol.
The first step is to head to aec.gov.au or - if you don't have access to the internet - you can call 13 23 26 and follow the prompts.
On the website you'll need to click 'Enrol to vote', then 'Start enrolment' and make sure you have either your driver's license, passport, Medicare card, or citizenship number handy to prove your identity.
If you don't have access to one of those documents, you can get another person who is already enrolled to confirm your identity as well.
But from there, you just have to fill out some personal details and submit your application form.
And, even if you're fairly sure you are enrolled to vote and your details are up to date, there's no harm in confirming this on the website, especially if you've had a recent change of address.
"We encourage all Australians to make sure that their enrolment details are up to date. You can do that very easily at aec.gov.au. So check that your details are up-to-date and that you're ready to vote ahead of the election. The rolls will close within seven days of the issue of the writ."
So, now that the election has been called, you have until 8pm local time on Monday the 7th of April before the rolls are closed, so make sure you head to the AEC website right away to check that you're ready to vote come election day.
Tune in to our other episodes of Voting 101 for a step-by-step understanding of how to vote and a breakdown of how the Australian political system works - and follow SBS Our House to keep up to date this election.
But until then... happy voting!
