You can vote before Polling Day using iVote if:

• you are unable to vote without assistance because you have a vision impairment, a physical disability or you are illiterate,

• you are unable to vote without assistance or have difficulty voting at a polling place because you have a disability (within the meaning of the Anti-Discrimination Act 1977),

• your real place of living is not within 20 kilometres, by the nearest practicable route, of a polling place; or

• you will not be in New South Wales throughout the hours of polling on polling day.

Key dates for iVote

iVote applications will be accepted until 6:00pm EDST on 23 March 2011 by completing the online application on this website. Please click here to apply to use iVote.

People who have difficulty completing the online application can also call the iVote call centre to register; 1300 02 2011 or 1300 2 iVote (from outside Australia call +612 9034 8999)

1. Voting connects citizens with their political processes.
2. Voting helps to safeguard our freedoms. A democratic community can only survive if its citizens see participation in the political process as a duty and a responsibility.
3. It is the right and responsibility of everyone on the electoral roll to vote. This ensures that everyone's preference is accounted for and that our elected representatives genuinely are those preferred by the majority of the electorate.
4. Voting for me means I have the opportunity to have my say about who leads my country, state and Local government. (Catherine, 20)
5. Having the right to vote allows us to politically participate in our society. It is the basis for our democracy in which we can enjoy human rights. It allows us to contribute to the direction we want our society to take. (Karen, 42)

How to enrol?

Australian Electoral Commission

When by?

What is the "close of rolls"?
The electoral roll is continuously updated, however, following the issue of the ‘writ’ for an election, which sets the election timetable, the roll for the election is closed. The roll for the election closes at 8.00 pm local time on the third working day after the writ is issued and cannot be updated after that date. The close of rolls for people newly enrolling or re-enrolling is 8:00pm on the day on which the writ is issued.

How to vote: Optional preferential Vs proportional?

Casting a Vote
Voting Assistance
CALD Assistance

Is voting compulsory?

Yes, voting is compulsory for every Australian citizen aged 18 years or older. If you do not vote and do not have a valid and sufficient reason for failing to vote, a penalty is imposed.

What happens if I do not vote?

Initially the Australian Electoral Commission will write to all apparent non-voters requesting that they either provide a reason for their failure to vote or pay a $20 penalty.

If, within 21 days, the apparent non-voter fails to reply, cannot provide a valid and sufficient reason or declines to pay the penalty, then prosecution proceedings may be instigated. If the matter is dealt with in court and the person is found guilty, he or she may be fined up to $50 plus court costs.

You might have heard the Premier on the news talking about schools or police. These are just two areas under the responsibility of state governments. They look after all things not listed as a Federal Government responsibility in the Australian Constitution.

Some other areas of state government responsibility include hospitals, water, roads, ambulance, gas, electricity, vehicle registrations, fishing licences, trains, buses and stadium development.

How the NSW Government Works

The NSW Government is made up of people who are elected by people who live in NSW to look after their interests and make laws for the good of NSW.

How does this all happen?

The election - In NSW, elections are held on the fourth Saturday in March every four years.

If you're 18 years old and an Australian citizen you have to register on the electoral role and vote in government elections. This is called compulsory voting – it was introduced in 1924 and first used in the 1925 elections. People who don't vote get fined.

Your vote is a secret – you don't put your name on the voting form (referred to as the ballot paper) and when you have filled it in, you fold it up and put it in an official box called a ballot box.

This type of voting is called a secret ballot and it was introduced in 1858.

There are currently 93 separate electorates in NSW. When a person votes they choose a candidate (a person running for election) within their own electorate.

The winners – How a Government is formed?

If a candidate wins their electorate, also know as a 'seat' they are now a Member of Parliament – we sometimes call them an MP for short.

The political party that wins the most seats is called the Government.

Up to 20 Ministers are selected from these Members of Parliament (MPs), including the leader of the State Government, the Premier. They form the Executive which is also called the Cabinet or Ministry.

The Liberal

ALP (No policies up yet but campaigns are)

The Greens

The Nationals

Christian Democrats

Shooters and Fishers Party

A good overview of the system of government in NSW is available on the NSW Parliament website. It contains brief information on the history of NSW Parliament; the two houses of Parliament [the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council]; how people are elected to Parliament and how it operates; how laws are made; the role of Cabinet, the Courts and the Governor; and much more. Click here for more detailed information.

Another good overview of the structure of NSW Parliament is presented by YAPA [Youth Action & Policy Association]

NSW Parliament (in Macquarie Street, Sydney) has two houses (sections)

Current State of NSW Parliament

NSW Lower house: Legislative Assembly

Each member is elected by the voters in 1 seat or electorate (voting region)
Each electorate has about the same number of voters (currently about 48,000)
City electorates are small geographic areas (a few suburbs) and rural electorates can be large areas
Members are elected until the next election, a 4 year term exactly

NSW Upper House: Legislative Council

Members each represent the whole state of NSW (not a local electorate)
At each election half (21) of the members are elected
They serve two terms (8 years)