You can apply to become a silent elector if you believe having your address included on the publicly available electoral roll could put you or your family’s safety at risk.

You need to apply to become a silent elector through the Australian Electoral Commission, and they will share your application with us.

If you have family enrolled at your address with the same family name, we strongly recommended that they also apply to become silent electors.

If there is an imminent threat to your safety and you need your application to be considered urgently, contact us directly on 1300 805 478.

Become a silent elector

If you move to a new house or change your name after becoming a silent elector, you don't need to reapply to be a silent elector.

Becoming a silent elector will not apply to previous copies of the roll.

If you are eligible to enrol but do not have a permanent residential address, you can still enrol. The electorate you enrol in will depend on your circumstances.

You can apply to enrol with no fixed address if you:

• are experiencing homelessness
• don't have access to safe and secure housing
• are temporarily travelling or working interstate or overseas with no return address

You will be able to enrol for the address where:

• you last lived for at least one month
• one of your next of kin is currently enrolled
• you were born, if neither of the above apply
• you have the closest connection, if you were born overseas and none of the above apply.

You can enrol using the 'no fixed address form' through the Australian Electoral Commission, and they will share it with us.

Enrol with no fixed address

If you're travelling within Australia, but plan to come back to your enrolled address, you can stay enrolled at your address and will still be able to vote in an election.

We encourage you to vote, no matter where you are in Australia. Your vote matters.

Tell us you're travelling

If you’re already enrolled, you can let us know that you’re travelling by submitting an 'Away from Victoria' form.

The form is linked to your enrolment, so please check your enrolment first, and then select 'Away from Victoria'.

Check my enrolment

Or download an overseas notification form.

More information on voting options during an election.

Away for less than 6 years

If you're living, travelling, or working overseas, but plan to come back to your enrolled address within 6 years, you can stay enrolled at your address and will still be able to vote in an election.

We encourage you to vote, no matter where you are in the world. Your vote matters.

Away for longer than 6 years

If you're going to be away from Australia for longer than 6 years, you cannot vote in State elections. You need to fill out the 'Away from Victoria' form to remove your name from the electoral roll.

Let us know you're overseas

If you're already enrolled, you can let us know that you're overseas temporarily or indefinitely by submitting an 'Away from Victoria' form. 

The form is linked to your enrolment, so please check your enrolment first, and then select 'Away from Victoria'.

Check my enrolment

Or download an overseas notification form.

More information on voting options during an election.

If you are unable to sign your name, you can ask another person who is already enrolled to fill out and sign an enrolment form on your behalf. 

You will also need a registered medical practitioner to complete and sign the medical certificate on the form. 

You need to fill out the enrolment form through the Australian Electoral Commission, and they will share it with us.

Enrol if you cannot sign your name

If you are serving a prison sentence under 5 years, you are still required to enrol for State elections. If you are already enrolled, your enrolment address stays the same.

If you are enrolling for the first time, your enrolment address would be your home address where you lived at the time of conviction.

If you enrol as a prisoner, you can register to vote by post.

To enrol for the first time or to register to vote by post, you need to fill out the enrolment form through the Australian Electoral Commission, and they will share it with us.

For more information please see the enrolment and voting for prisoners brochure: 

• Enrolment and voting for prisoners brochure (PDF, 346 kB)
• Enrolment and voting for prisoners brochure (Word, 84 kB)

Enrol as a prisoner in Victoria

If you’re working in Antarctica, but plan to come back to your enrolled address, you can stay enrolled at your address and will still be able to vote in an election.

We encourage you to vote, no matter where you are in the world. Your vote matters.

You need to register as an Antarctic elector through the Australian Electoral Commission, and they will share it with us.

Register as an Antarctic elector