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Your voice your future

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!

Some questions you might have...

Still looking for motivation to vote?
Voting's not difficult - here's how you do it!
Behind the scenes with PR
The 1, 2, 3 of preferential counting
But first, get on the roll
Or take it one step further - become a candidate!
More information

Still looking for motivation to vote?Top

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!

Why vote?

Hook into this animation to find out what motivates some young people with different views and different experiences of life to vote.

Teachers' notes (PDF 38kB, DOC 31kB)
Class sheet (PDF 35kB, DOC 27kB)

Voting's not difficult - here's how you do it!Top

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.

The Virtual voting experience

Have the virtual voting experience... then once you're through, read on to unravel the mysteries of how your votes are counted.
Have the virtual voting experience in languages other than English
Teachers' notes (PDF 28kB, DOC 33kB)
Class sheet (PDF 23kB, DOC 29kB)

Behind the scenes with PRTop

"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!

Proportional representation: Celebrity Island

Celebrity Island helps you understand the basic principles of proportional representation by asking you to vote celebrities on to this pretty wacky and out-there island. See it through and the results might surprise you!
Teachers' notes (PDF 28kB, DOC 29kB)
Conduct your own PR election (PDF 187kB, DOC 204kB)
More information on proportional counting

The 1, 2, 3 of preferential countingTop

Preferential counting 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 counting system.

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.

More information on preferential counting

But first, get on the rollTop

Before you can vote, you must be on the electoral roll.

All you need to do is complete, sign and return an enrolment form.

Enrolment forms can be downloaded or picked up from any post office or from the VEC. You can also have one sent out to you by calling 131 832.

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 to vote when you turn 18! And remember, always fill out a new enrolment form each time your details or address change.

Or take it one step further - become a candidate!Top

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.