Time to enrol for 2023 referendum: Get ready to vote
With the 2023 referendum announced for Saturday 14 October it’s now time for Australians, including new citizens and voters from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds, to make sure they are enrolled and ready to vote.
Electoral Commissioner Tom Rogers said that all Australian citizens aged 18 years and over are required by law to enrol and vote in the first referendum in nearly a quarter of a century.
“If Australians are unsure of the status of their enrolment, they should go on the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) website and make sure their details are up to date”.
The deadline to enrol is 8pm on 18 September.
Key dates:
Close of rolls: Monday 8pm 18 September
Start of early voting: From Monday 2 October
Voting Day: Saturday 14 October
Voting options
While completing a ballot paper for a referendum is different to a federal election, the voting services will be quite similar. The 17.5 million voters will be able to cast their vote in person on the day or via early voting centres in the two weeks leading up to polling day or via a postal vote.
Australians voting overseas will see the in-person voting services returning to pre-pandemic levels. Additionally, there will be fast-tracked arrangements in place for overseas postal voting, as provided during last year’s federal election.
Aged care facilities will also see an increase provision of mobile polling services, something that wasn’t possible on a large scale during the last federal election due to covid restrictions. Additionally, residential mental health facilities will have this service offered to them for the first time.
Telephone voting will be available for voters who are blind or have low vision.
“We are all about the process of delivering this referendum. It is up to Australians how they vote, our work is about making sure they have access to vote.” Mr Rogers said.
Detailed information about all voting services – locations and opening hours – will be provided on the AEC website closer to the voting period.
“It’s also important to understand the role of a referendum – it’s been 24 years since the most recent one so many people will be new to the process or need to refamiliarise themselves”.
The AEC has factsheets available on its website in 34 languages about the purpose and process of the referendum, and about how to identify possible disinformation about the voting process. A national advertising campaign is also being delivered – in many languages – across radio, press, television and digital channels, to help all Australians to get ready to vote.
For more information in your preferred language about enrolling and voting in this referendum visit aec.gov.au/translated or call 1300 720 153.
