About voting - Federal elections

Federal elections are always on a Saturday and are independently conducted by the Australian Electoral Commission (external link).

The last Federal election was held on Saturday, 24 November 2007. The next Federal election can be called at any time within the following three years.

Australian Federal Parliament is made up of two Houses - the House of Representatives (also known as the Lower House) and the Senate (or Upper House).

Is it compulsory to vote?
Who am I electing?
Why is voting important?
Where and how do I vote in Federal elections?

Is it compulsory to vote?

Yes. If you are enrolled to vote, then you must vote in a Federal election. If you fail to vote without an adequate reason, you may be fined.

Who am I electing?

You vote at Federal elections to elect people to represent you in the House of Representatives and the Senate. Australia is divided into 150 House of Representative divisions, with each division having one member. Of these, Victorian voters elect thirty-seven representatives to serve for a term of up to three years.

At each Federal election, Victorian voters also elect six of the twelve Victorian Senators to serve for six years. In certain circumstances, all twelve Victorian Senators stand for election at the same time. This is known as a double dissolution of the Parliament.

Why is voting important?

The Federal government makes decisions about issues that affect all Australians. Its responsibilities include:

• the national economy;
• defence;
• foreign policy;
• immigration;
• social services such as pensions and family support;
• trade and commerce;
• post-secondary education; and
• Medicare and health funding.

Where and how do I vote in Federal elections?

Information about where and how to vote in Federal elections is available from the Australian Electoral Commission (external link).