Assistance available for voters

Accessible voting compartments
Audio files
Closed circuit television
Disability Action Plan
Easy English Guide
Electronic voting
Help from someone you know
Languages other than English
Large print files
Magnifiers and maxi pencils
Mobile voting
Staff assistance
Teletypwriter (TTY)
Voting outside a voting centre
Voting by post
Wheelchair access at voting centres
Enrolment and voting advice for families and carers
Enrolment and voting advice for prisoners


Services, assistance and resources oulined below may differ according to the election method. State elections are conducted by attendance voting, with the option of registering as a postal voter. Local council elections are conducted by postal or attendance voting.

Files on this page are provided in PDF format and DOC format. You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view PDF files or Microsoft Word to view DOC files.

Accessible voting compartments

At State elections and local council attendance elections, all voting centres have at least one wheelchair accessible voting compartment or a tabletop voting compartment. A wheelchair accessible voting compartment is a lower and wider voting compartment. A tabletop voting compartment is placed on a table when you vote.

Audio files

MP3 audio files covering key dates and information specific to a particular election’s enrolment, nomination and voting requirements are available on this site during State elections and local council elections.

Closed circuit television

At State elections, closed circuit television (CCTV) equipment is available at special centres for vision impaired voters. A CCTV involves a ballot paper positioned under a camera that magnifies and displays the voter's ballot paper on a television screen.

Disability Action Plan

The VEC's new Disability Action Plan is now available. The updated plan outlines the VEC’s objectives and strategies to improve access to the Victorian electoral system.

Disability Action Plan	PDF version (165 KB) | DOC version (114 KB)

Easy English Guide

An Easy English Guide on State elections was produced with the assistance of Scope (external link). It is also available on relevant website pages during State elections.

Enrol to vote	PDF version (87 KB) | DOC version (271 KB)
Nominate as a candidate	PDF version (104 KB) | DOC version (935 KB)
How to vote	PDF version (460 KB) | DOC version (506 KB)
Voting - general information	PDF version (103 KB) | DOC version (4818 KB)

If you would prefer a hard copy, contact the VEC.

Electronic voting

Electronic voting was piloted at six "e-Centres" at the 2006 State election for vision impaired people who could not vote independently. It involved the use of a PC with a touch screen, key pad and head phones. Its future application will be determined by Parliament, pending a recommendation by the VEC regarding its extended application at both local council and State elections.

Help from someone you know

You can bring someone with you to the voting centre if you feel more comfortable asking someone you know to help complete your ballot paper at State elections and local council attendance elections. The person assisting you is to help you complete your ballot paper in accordance with your wishes.

Languages other than English

At State elections, every voting centre provides leaflets explaining how to vote in languages other than English. These leaflets are located in a stand inside the State election voting centre entry. Some State election voting centres also have staff who speak a second language. These staff wear an interpreter sticker (pictured) with the name of the language they speak. The VEC also advertises in major ethnic media during the election period.

At local council elections, each council determines the level of service and information provided in languages other than English. This can include multi-language voting leaflets, ethnic media advertising and multi-lingual telephone interpreter lines.

General information on elections, enrolling and voting is also available to download in the following languages:


More detailed information is available to download in other languages during State elections.

Large print files

Large print files covering key dates and information specific to a particular election’s enrolment, nomination and voting requirements are available on this site during State elections and local council elections.

Magnifiers and maxi pencils

Magnifiers and maxi pencils are available at at each voting centre for State elections and local council attendance elections. If you require one of these tools, ask a staff member for assistance.

Mobile voting

At State elections, the VEC identifies mobile voting venues for voters unable to get to a voting centre. These venues include hospitals, nursing homes and retirement homes. Venues appointed by the VEC are visited by mobile State election voting teams at pre-arranged times.

Staff assistance

At State elections and local council attendance elections, election officials wear an easily identifiable vest (pictured) and badge to indicate that they are there to help. They provide any specialist assistance required. You can ask for help about how to fill in your ballot paper, or where to place the ballot paper once you have completed it.

If you require assistance to complete you ballot paper, this should be in the presence of:

• a scrutineer
• another election official or
• another person nominated by you

You can also present a statement in writing if you require assistance. For example, you can present a how-to-vote card to indicate that you would like your ballot paper to be marked accordingly.

Teletypwriter (TTY)

The VEC operates a TTY line for deaf or hearing impaired people during operating hours and extended hours of operation advertised throughout each election period. The number is (03) 9299 0570. A teletypewriter, TTY or textphone is a "telephone" involving a keyboard and display screen. Letters typed into the machine by the TTY user become electrical signals that travel over ordinary telephone lines. When the signals reach the VEC, they are converted back into letters printed out on paper.

Voting outside a voting centre

At State elections and local council attendance elections, you can ask a friend or family member to request that an election official assist you to vote outside the centre if you find it difficult to vote inside. If this happens:

• an election official will bring the ballot papers out to you
• you complete the ballot papers
• the election official will place them in the ballot box inside the voting centre

The election official assisting you should be in the presence of a scrutineer, another election official or some other person you nominate to ensure that your ballot paper is completed in accordance with your wishes.

Voting by post

You may find it difficult to attend a voting centre at State elections and local council attendance elections. If you feel that it will always be difficult for you to get to a voting centre, you may be able to apply to be a general postal voter (GPV). Applications to register as a general postal voter must be received by the close of rolls for an election. If you register as a GPV and meet the criteria, you will automatically be sent postal voting material at each Federal, State and local council election. You will receive voting material by post only after nominations for that election have been finalised. (Note: GPVs over 70 years of age are not sent voting material for Federal elections. GPVs over 70 years of age are sent voting material for State and local council elections only).

At local council postal elections, the VEC posts voting material to each voter’s enrolled address after nominations have closed.

If you are unable to complete the Federal, State and local council election material, you can ask someone to help you to complete the material on your behalf. The person who provides assistance is then required to sign the declaration envelope, stating that they are an authorised signatory. Staff at Victorian Vision Australia centres can also provide voters with equipment to assist in reading voter information and completing ballot papers.

Wheelchair access at voting centres

The VEC leases voting centre venues for State elections and local council attendance elections. Every early voting and election day voting centre is rated according to its wheelchair accessibility, using an audit tool. The audit complies with relevant Australian Standards. It addresses building access as well as the availability of accessible parking. If you would like a copy of the audit tool developed specifically to rate VEC voting centres, contact the VEC.

Voting centre signage includes a sticker indicating the voting centre's accessbility rating.

Ratings:

	Full wheelchair access (all criteria on the audit tool are met)
	Assisted wheelchair access (majority of criteria are met)
	No wheelchair access

Each centre’s accessibility rating is noted in advertising that lists centre locations. The VEC makes every effort to lease as many suitable FWA or AWA venues as are available.

Enrolment and voting advice for families and carers

The VEC has produced an information brochure (PDF, 141KB) with enrolment and voting advice for families and carers of people with a cognitive disability/impairment.

The file is provided in PDF format, and you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view this file. If you would prefer a hard copy, please contact the VEC.

Enrolment and voting advice for prisoners

An information brochure (PDF, 140KB) with information for Victorian prisoners on enrolment and voting for Federal, State and local council elections is also now available from the VEC.

The file is provided in PDF format, and you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view this file. If you would prefer a hard copy, please contact the VEC.