How to Vote in Australian Elections from Overseas

If you’re an Australian citizen, voting in elections is normally compulsory. But what if you happen to be overseas on election day?

The good news is that it’s possible (and relatively easy) to vote in Australian federal, state and local government elections from overseas if you want to. But being overseas during the election is also a valid excuse not to vote, as long as you have notified the AEC.

Registering as an overseas voter

First of all, if you know you’re going to be overseas during an election, you should complete an overseas notification form with the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC). From here, the exact process depends on how long you’ll be out of the country for…

Living overseas temporarily

If you’re only planning to travel or live overseas for up to 6 years, you can notify the AEC that you’ll be temporarily absent from Australia. In this case, your name will remain on the electoral roll in the electorate where you last lived in Australia.

When notifying the electoral commission of your overseas travel, you’ll also have the option to register as a postal voter. This means you’ll be sent a postal ballot to your nominated overseas address whenever an election is called in Australia.

When you register as an overseas voter, the AEC will also pass on this information to the state-based electoral authority which is responsible for state and local government elections in your region.

You can still vote in Australian elections if you are registered as being overseas. But you will not receive a fine if you do not vote during that time.

Leaving Australia permanently

If you are intending to leave Australia permanently, or remain living overseas for more than 6 years, you can ask to have your details removed from the electoral roll.

You will not be able to vote while you are not registered on the electoral roll. But you can re-enrol if you resume living in Australia.

How to vote in Australian federal elections while overseas

The upcoming federal election has been called, and will be held on Saturday 3 May 2025.

If you’re registered as an overseas postal voter, you should receive a ballot in the mail when there is an election. When your postal vote form arrives, simply complete it and mail it back to Australia by the deadline to ensure your vote is counted. Alternatively, you may be able to post your ballot to the Australian embassy in the country where you are staying.

It also is possible to vote in federal elections in person at some Australian embassies, consulates and high commissions. I have done this a few times in various different countries, and found the process easy and efficient.

List of overseas voting locations for the Australian federal election

In the 2025 federal election, the Australian government is making overseas voting available at 111 embassies, consulates and high commissions around the world. These include key overseas locations like London, Paris, Los Angeles, Vancouver, Auckland, Wellington and Bali.

You can see the full list on the AEC website.

How to vote at an overseas embassy or consulate

The Australian missions with polling booths normally list the dates & times when voting is possible on their websites.

Make sure you bring ID (e.g. your passport) with you. Check also if you may need an appointment – although this isn’t generally required at most locations.

At some overseas embassies, you can even get your “democracy sausage” fix when voting! The Australian embassy in Berlin, Germany is one of a small handful of Australian overseas missions that has them. Yes, they came with grilled onions. And yes, the funds raised were donated to a local school!)

If you happen to be in Australia in the weeks before election day, you could also vote early at a pre-polling centre.

The Australian government’s Smartraveller website has more information about this.

Overseas voting locations in the 2022 federal election

Not every Australian embassy, consulate or high commission is an overseas voting centre. However, the number of locations available in 2025 is significantly more than in the 2022 election. During that election, the Australian government only offered overseas voting in 22 cities:

Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Beijing, China
Guangzhou, China
Rarotonga, Cook Islands
Paris, France
Berlin, Germany
Accra, Ghana
Denpasar, Indonesia
Nauru
Auckland, New Zealand
Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
Manila, Philippines
Taipei, Taiwan
London, UK
New York, USA
San Francisco, USA
Port Vila, Vanuatu
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

At the time, the government blamed the coronavirus pandemic for the lack of options, but cost-cutting may have also been a factor. It’s good to see many more locations coming back online this time around.

How to vote in state & local council elections while overseas

It’s not generally possible to vote at overseas Australian embassies in state and local government elections. But there are other possibilities.

If you’ve registered as an overseas postal voter, you should also receive postal voting material in the mail whenever there is a state or council election. For voters from WA, SA, TAS, NT or ACT, this is the only way to vote in state & local government elections while overseas.

If you normally live in another state or territory, there are additional options as well:

NSW – You can vote in person in another Australian state or territory capital city, but only postal voting is available for local council elections
VIC – For state elections (only), in previous elections you could vote in-person at overseas early voting centres in key international locations such as London
QLD – You may be eligible for telephone voting in state elections