Other ways to enrol

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 traveling or working in Australia with no residential 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

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.

General postal voters (GPVs) are people who are automatically mailed a ballot pack for all elections in their area. They must complete and return their ballot pack before election day.

Who can become a general postal voter?

You can become a general postal voter if you cannot get to a voting centre for any of the following reasons:

• you live 20km or further from a voting centre
• you are seriously ill, or care for someone who is seriously ill
• you are 70 years or older*
• you are in prison, detention or custody
• you are a silent elector
• you are unable to attend a voting centre for religious reasons
• you are a registered overseas elector.

* If you apply to become a general postal voter because you are 70 or older, you will not automatically receive a ballot pack for federal elections. This is because of different Victorian and Commonwealth electoral laws.

How to apply

You can find more information and apply to become a general postal voter through the Australian Electoral Commission.

Apply to become a general postal voter

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

Living or working overseas

If you're travelling or working overseas, but plan to return to Australia within 6 years, you can stay enrolled at your address and will still be able to vote in state and local council elections. You should register as an overseas elector with the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC).

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

Overseas indefinitely

If you are living overseas indefinitely and not planning to come back to your enrolled address, you will not be able to vote in any state or local council elections held while you are overseas.

Please update your enrolment by completing 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

Overseas during an election

If you’re overseas during a state or local council election and won’t be able to vote by post, you can let us know 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

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 and local council 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 our enrolment and voting for prisoners guide: 

• Voting - a guide for Victorian prisons (PDF, 539 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