Your voice your future
Why vote?
How to vote
Vote counting - Proportional representation
Vote counting - Preferential
Enrol to vote
Become a candidate
When you vote you contribute to our community. Our community is shaped by you and everybody else. It's built on relationships, networks and laws with friends, family, neighbours and government.
Sometimes it's easy to think of voting as our only interaction with government. But really it's much more than that. Voting is about voicing your opinion on issues that affect you, our community and the world beyond. So if you're tempted to think that voting and politics is uncool, irrelevant or dull - think again!
Being passionate or even just mildly concerned about issues like education, homelessness, the environment, taxation or employment IS interesting... IS cool... and IS relevant. And though you might not know it, it also means you're interested in politics! The reason is simple - when you vote, you vote for people or parties who best reflect how you feel about issues that are important to you.
Like everyone else who's eligible to vote, young people have a responsibility to elect a government that will make policies and laws for all of us. You help to shape our community when you vote - so every vote really does count!
It's really important to realise that by voting a government in, you hold that government to account - and the most basic way of holding a government to account is your power to vote the government in or out!
Teachers' notes and class sheets
More information on voting
Teachers' notes and class sheets
Maybe not as exciting as the other "PR"... but definitely worth knowing about if you're serious about making your vote go the way you want it to. And why wouldn't you be!
View the proportional representation slideshow
More information on proportional representation
Teachers' notes
Conduct your own PR election (PDF, 188KB | DOC, 205KB)
First, the number "1" votes (first preferences) for each candidate are counted, and if one candidate gets more than half the total first preference votes (known as an "absolute majority") that candidate is elected. Second, if no candidate has an absolute majority, preferences from the candidate with the smallest number of first preference votes are transferred to other candidates. Third, this process continues until one candidate has an absolute majority and is elected.
View the preferential voting slideshow
More information on preferential voting
All you need to do is complete and return an enrolment form, then either fax it to (03) 9277 7126 or drop it in to one of the Australian Electoral Commission's Victorian Divisional Offices (external link).
Enrolment forms can also be picked up from any post office, Coles or Bi-Lo supermarket or from the VEC. You can also have one sent out to you by calling 13 18 32.
It's compulsory to enrol if you're 18 years or older, have lived at your current address in Victoria for at least one month, and are an Australian citizen. But you can also enrol to vote if you're 17, so that you're ready vote when you turn 18! And remember, always fill out a new enrolment form each time your details or address change.
Download an enrolment form
More information on enrolling
As a base requirement, you need to be eligible to vote in order to nominate as a candidate. Other qualifications vary for Federal, State and local council elections and are set out in the applicable pieces of legislation.
Local government - Local Government Act 1989 (external link)
State parliament - Constitution Act 1975 (external link)
Federal parliament - Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 (external link)
Disclaimer: The VEC has endeavoured to accurately present the material in a format suitable for its intended audience.
How to vote
Vote counting - Proportional representation
Vote counting - Preferential
Enrol to vote
Become a candidate
When you vote you contribute to our community. Our community is shaped by you and everybody else. It's built on relationships, networks and laws with friends, family, neighbours and government.
Sometimes it's easy to think of voting as our only interaction with government. But really it's much more than that. Voting is about voicing your opinion on issues that affect you, our community and the world beyond. So if you're tempted to think that voting and politics is uncool, irrelevant or dull - think again!
Being passionate or even just mildly concerned about issues like education, homelessness, the environment, taxation or employment IS interesting... IS cool... and IS relevant. And though you might not know it, it also means you're interested in politics! The reason is simple - when you vote, you vote for people or parties who best reflect how you feel about issues that are important to you.
Like everyone else who's eligible to vote, young people have a responsibility to elect a government that will make policies and laws for all of us. You help to shape our community when you vote - so every vote really does count!
Still looking for motivation to vote?
It's true. You can have all the passion and concern in the world, but the reality is that many people still feel as though their opinions are always ignored. The thing is, if you don't vote, you can't really complain about the government or particular laws or policies you disagree with.It's really important to realise that by voting a government in, you hold that government to account - and the most basic way of holding a government to account is your power to vote the government in or out!
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Hook into this animation to find out what motivates some young people with different views and different experiences of life to vote. |
Teachers' notes and class sheets
Voting's not difficult - here's how you do it!
So you know it's an important thing to do, but how do you vote, and what do you actually need to do on election day? It's easy... and Reggie Region and Desi District are to the rescue! Let them guide you through a voting centre and help you fill out the Upper and Lower House ballot papers. |
Enter Reggie and Desi's Excellent Voting Adventure... then once
you're through, read on to unravel the mysteries of how your votes are counted.
Take the Excellent Voting Adventure in languages other than English |
More information on voting
Teachers' notes and class sheets
Behind the scenes with PR
"PR" is maybe not quite what you think. Public relations it isn't - no TV crews or journos, no deceptively clever word-smithing or massaging of egos while wining and dining your clients. In fact, in the world of elections, PR is short for "proportional representation" - one of two methods used in Victoria to count votes in State and local council elections.Maybe not as exciting as the other "PR"... but definitely worth knowing about if you're serious about making your vote go the way you want it to. And why wouldn't you be!
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The Biggest Singing & Dancing Celebrity Island helps you understand the basic principles of proportional representation by asking you to vote celebrities on to this pretty whacky and out-there island. See it through and the results might surprise you! |
View the proportional representation slideshow
More information on proportional representation
Teachers' notes
Conduct your own PR election (PDF, 188KB | DOC, 205KB)
The 1, 2, 3 of preferential voting
Preferential voting is the other of the two systems used in Victoria to count votes in State and local council elections - and it's less complex than proportional representation.First, the number "1" votes (first preferences) for each candidate are counted, and if one candidate gets more than half the total first preference votes (known as an "absolute majority") that candidate is elected. Second, if no candidate has an absolute majority, preferences from the candidate with the smallest number of first preference votes are transferred to other candidates. Third, this process continues until one candidate has an absolute majority and is elected.
View the preferential voting slideshow
More information on preferential voting
But first, get on the roll
Before you can vote, you must be on the electoral roll. Enrolling is easy, and you only need to enrol once to vote at Federal, State and local council elections.All you need to do is complete and return an enrolment form, then either fax it to (03) 9277 7126 or drop it in to one of the Australian Electoral Commission's Victorian Divisional Offices (external link).
Enrolment forms can also be picked up from any post office, Coles or Bi-Lo supermarket or from the VEC. You can also have one sent out to you by calling 13 18 32.
It's compulsory to enrol if you're 18 years or older, have lived at your current address in Victoria for at least one month, and are an Australian citizen. But you can also enrol to vote if you're 17, so that you're ready vote when you turn 18! And remember, always fill out a new enrolment form each time your details or address change.
Download an enrolment form
More information on enrolling
Or take it one step further - become a candidate!
Political responsibilities don't have to end at the ballot box. You might want to consider becoming a candidate if you're super committed to issues that are important to you!As a base requirement, you need to be eligible to vote in order to nominate as a candidate. Other qualifications vary for Federal, State and local council elections and are set out in the applicable pieces of legislation.
Local government - Local Government Act 1989 (external link)
State parliament - Constitution Act 1975 (external link)
Federal parliament - Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 (external link)
More information
 |
For more information, contact the VEC or download a quick guide to government, elections and voting in Victoria. The file is provided in PDF format. You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view PDF files. If you'd like a hard copy, contact the VEC. |
Disclaimer: The VEC has endeavoured to accurately present the material in a format suitable for its intended audience.