Victorian Electoral Commission YOUR VOICE YOUR FUTURE

Victorian Electoral Commission YOUR VOICE YOUR FUTURE

vec.vic.gov.au

DID YOU KNOW... JOAN KIRNER BECAME THE FIRST FEMALE PREMIER OF VICTORIA IN 1990.

This booklet will help you understand government, elections and voting in Victoria and what you need to do. It also tells you about your rights and responsibilities as a voter, and provides you with information on how to become a candidate in elections. Now that you re enrolled, when you turn 18 you ll be ready to have your say and vote on a whole range of important issues that affect your life and your community. When you vote, you re helping to shape Australia and Victoria s future. You ll also be eligible to become a candidate in future Federal, State or local government elections in Victoria.* There are many examples of young people who have represented their communities interests by being elected to Federal, State and local government. Keep this booklet handy and refer to it each time there s an election. Quick Guide to Contents Representing you 05 Federal Government 07 State Government 11 Local Government 15 Do I have to vote in elections? 19 Why should I vote? 19 How are votes counted? 20 What do I do if I change my address in the future? 21 Want to know more? 23 *certain individuals are ineligible

DID WHEN THE FIRST VICTORIAN PARLIAMENT WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1856, ONLY MEN AGED 21 YOU AND OVER WHO MET PROPERTY QUALIFICATIONS COULD VOTE IN VICTORIAN ELECTIONS. KNOW...

REPRESENTING YOU Australia is a representative democracy where we elect representatives to make decisions on our behalf. At each election you get to decide how you would like to be represented in government. For example, if you re at university or TAFE and have an interest in education issues, you get to choose which party or candidate can best represent your views. If you re working or looking for work, you get to decide who can best represent your views on employment issues. When you vote you get to choose the candidate who best represents your views across a range of issues. In Australia, voters elect representatives to each of the three levels of government: Federal Government State Government Local Government Read on to find out more about the three levels of government, elections and voting, and what you need to do pg5

DID YOU KNOW...

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT At the national level, the decision making body of the Federal Government is Federal Parliament. It s made up of two Houses the (also known as the Lower House) and the (or Upper House). The leader of the Federal Government is the Prime Minister. Federal Government responsibilities include making laws and policies for all of us on: Tertiary and post secondary education Employment strategies Medicare and health funding Defence Foreign policy Immigration Social services such as pensions and family support When you vote in a Federal election you get to have your say on who can best represent your views on these issues. At each election there are a number of political parties and independent candidates with differing views from which you can choose. HOW DO I FIND OUT ABOUT THE POLICIES OF THE PARTIES AND CANDIDATES? Their views and policies are widely publicised in the media, or you can contact the parties and candidates directly. Party and candidate websites are also a good place to find out more. HOW ARE GOVERNMENTS FORMED? The party or coalition (group of parties) that wins a majority of the 150 seats in the House of Representatives at an election becomes the government. WHEN ARE FEDERAL ELECTIONS HELD? They re always on a Saturday and are independently conducted by the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC). The Prime Minister can call an election at any time within three years following an election. WHO AM I ELECTING? Australia is divided into 150 House of Representative (Lower House) divisions, of which 37 are in Victoria. At each Federal election YOU GET TO VOTE for a candidate for your division to represent you in the House of Representatives. Elected candidates serve for a term of up to three years. Each State in Australia also forms a Senate (Upper House) electorate represented by twelve senators. At most elections YOU GET TO VOTE for six of the twelve senators to represent Victoria in the Senate for a term of six years. In certain circumstances, you get to vote for all twelve senators. This is known as a double dissolution election. pg7

HOW DO I VOTE IN FEDERAL ELECTIONS? It s easy. Simply go to a polling place on election day. Polling place locations are advertised in newspapers on the Friday before election day and are listed on the AEC s website at aec.gov.au before the election. When you arrive at the polling place: 1. An election official will ask for your name and address. 2. Your electoral division will be confirmed. 3. The certified list of voters will be marked to show that you ve voted. 4. You will be issued with two different coloured ballot papers for you to complete a green one for your House of Representatives (Lower House) division, and a white one for the Senate (Upper House). PLACE A 1 IN THE BOX AGAINST YOUR PREFERRED CANDIDATE, AND THEN NUMBER ALL OF THE REMAINING BOXES IN ORDER OF YOUR PREFERENCE. pg8

If you can t get to a polling place on election day, you can vote either in person at selected locations before the election or by post. Details on how to do this are advertised in newspapers and are listed on the AEC s website at aec.gov.au before the election. HOW DO I BECOME A CANDIDATE IN FEDERAL ELECTIONS? You need to be an Australian citizen aged 18 years of age or over and enrolled as a voter, or qualified to become a voter. Eligible candidates need to complete a nomination form and pay a deposit on or before the day nominations close. Most people stand for election as a candidate of one of the many political parties. Others stand as independent candidates. Certain individuals are ineligible to become candidates. For further information go to aec.gov.au or call the AEC on 132 326. SAMPLE ONLY YOU CAN VOTE ABOVE THE BLACK LINE BY PLACING A 1 IN THE BOX ABOVE THE PARTY OR GROUP YOU WANT TO SUPPORT. ALTERNATIVELY, IF YOU VOTE BELOW THE BLACK LINE YOU MUST PLACE A 1 IN THE BOX AGAINST YOUR MOST PREFERRED CANDIDATE AND THEN NUMBER ALL OF THE REMAINING BOXES IN ORDER OF YOUR PREFERENCE. pg9

DID YOU KNOW...

STATE GOVERNMENT In Victoria, the decision making body of the State Government is the Parliament of Victoria. It s made up of the Legislative Assembly (or Lower House) and the Legislative Council (or Upper House). The leader of the State Government is the Premier. The State Government is responsible for making laws and policies for all Victorians on: Government primary and secondary education, and the coordination of higher education Hospitals and health services Transport and road safety Drugs and crime prevention Police and prisons Natural resources and environment Fire and emergency services When you vote in a State election you get to have your say on who can best represent your views on these issues. At each State election there are a number of political parties and also independent candidates with differing views from which you can choose. HOW DO I FIND OUT WHAT THE PARTIES AND CANDIDATES STAND FOR? Their views and policies are widely publicised in the media, or you can contact the parties or candidates directly. Party and candidate websites are also a good place to find out more. HOW ARE GOVERNMENTS FORMED? The party or coalition (group of parties) that wins majority support in the Legislative Assembly at a State election forms the government. WHEN AND HOW ARE STATE ELECTIONS HELD? Every four years on the last Saturday in November, and they re independently conducted by the Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC). The next State election will be held in 2018. WHO AM I ELECTING? Victoria is divided into 88 Legislative Assembly (Lower House) districts. At each State election YOU GET TO VOTE for a candidate for your district to represent you in the Legislative Assembly. Elected candidates serve for a term of four years. Victoria is divided into eight Legislative Council (Upper House) regions. At each State election YOU GET TO VOTE for five candidates to represent your region in the Legislative Council for a term of four years. pg11

HOW DO I VOTE IN STATE ELECTIONS? Voting in state elections is easy. Simply go to a voting centre on election day. Voting centre locations are advertised in newspapers and are listed on the VEC s website before the election. When you arrive at the voting centre: 1. An election official will ask for your name and address. 2. Your electoral district and region will be confirmed. 3. The electoral roll will be marked to show that you ve voted. 4. You will be issued with two different coloured ballot papers for you to complete one for your Legislative Assembly (Lower House) district, and one for your Legislative Council (Upper House) region. PLACE A 1 IN THE BOX AGAINST YOUR PREFERRED CANDIDATE, AND THEN NUMBER ALL OF THE REMAINING BOXES IN ORDER OF YOUR PREFERENCE. pg12

If you can t get to a voting centre on election day, you can either vote in person at selected locations before the election or by post. Details on how to do this are advertised in newspapers and listed on the VEC s website at vec.vic.gov.au before the election. HOW DO I BECOME A CANDIDATE IN STATE ELECTIONS? To become a candidate you need to be enrolled as a voter in Victoria. Eligible candidates need to complete a nomination form and pay a deposit on or before the day nominations close. Most people stand for election as a candidate of one of the many political parties. Others choose to stand as independent candidates. Certain individuals are ineligible to become candidates. For further information go to vec.vic.gov.au or call the VEC on 131 832. YOU CAN VOTE ABOVE THE BLACK LINE BY PLACING A 1 IN THE BOX ABOVE THE PARTY OR GROUP YOU WANT TO SUPPORT. ALTERNATIVELY, IF YOU VOTE BELOW THE BLACK LINE YOU MUST PLACE A 1 IN THE BOX AGAINST YOUR MOST PREFERRED CANDIDATE AND THEN NUMBER AT LEAST FOUR OTHER BOXES IN ORDER OF YOUR PREFERENCE (I.E. 1,2,3,4 AND 5). YOU CAN NUMBER ALL BOXES BELOW THE LINE IN ORDER OF YOUR PREFERENCE IF YOU WISH. pg13

DID YOU KNOW... WOMEN WERE FIRST GIVEN THE VOTE IN VICTORIA IN 1908.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT The third level of government is your local council. It may be a city, shire or borough council, depending on where you live. Victoria is divided into 79* municipalities, each of which is governed by a council. The head of the council is the Mayor. Local government responsibilities include making local laws and policies on: Maintenance of sporting facilities and recreation reserves Local planning and development Libraries and community centres Animal registrations Rubbish and recycling collection Meals on wheels and home help Maintenance of local roads and footpaths When you vote in local council elections you get to have your say on these issues. At each council election there are a number of candidates with differing views from which you can choose. HOW DO I FIND OUT WHAT THE CANDIDATES STAND FOR? Their views are widely publicised in your local media at the time of the election, or you can contact the candidates directly. WHEN AND HOW ARE LOCAL COUNCIL ELECTIONS HELD? Local council elections for Victoria s 79* municipal councils take place every four years. Most council elections in Victoria are now conducted by post where voters receive their voting material in the mail. Some councils choose to conduct their elections by attendance ballot, meaning that voters attend a voting centre on election day. WHO AM I ELECTING? You vote to elect people to represent you on your council. Some councils in Victoria are unsubdivided (one big electorate). Others are divided into wards (several smaller electorates). Wards can either be represented by a single councillor, or by multiple councillors. Unsubdivided municipalities are represented by multiple councillors. At each council election YOU GET TO VOTE for a candidate or candidates for your ward or municipality to represent you on the council for a term of four years. In the City of Melbourne, you also get to vote directly for the Lord Mayor and Deputy Lord Mayor. In the City of Greater Geelong, you also get to vote directly for the Mayor. *As at 1 January 2015. pg15

HOW DO I VOTE IN LOCAL COUNCIL ELECTIONS? If your council decides to conduct an election by postal ballot your voting material will be mailed to your address. Once completed, you simply post your ballot paper in the reply-paid envelope provided. If your council decides to conduct an attendance election you will need to attend a voting centre on election day. Voting centre locations are advertised in local newspapers and are listed on the VEC s website at vec.vic.gov.au before the election. When you arrive at the voting centre an election official will ask you for your name and address to confirm your eligibility to vote. The electoral roll will then be marked and you will be issued with one ballot paper. EXAMPLE OF A COUNCIL BALLOT PAPER PLACE A 1 IN THE BOX AGAINST YOUR MOST PREFERRED CANDIDATE, AND THEN NUMBER ALL OF THE REMAINING BOXES IN ORDER OF YOUR PREFERENCE. pg16

If you can t get to a voting centre on election day for an attendance election you can either vote in person at selected locations before the election or by post. Details on how to do this are advertised in local newspapers and are listed on the VEC s website at vec.vic.gov.au before the election. HOW DO I BECOME A CANDIDATE IN LOCAL COUNCIL ELECTIONS? You need to be an Australian citizen and entitled to vote at that council election. Eligible candidates need to complete a nomination form and pay a deposit on or before the day nominations close. Certain individuals are ineligible to become candidates. For further information go to vec.vic.gov.au or call the VEC on 131 832. pg17

DID YOU KNOW...

If you are enrolled to vote then you vote in Federal, State and local government elections. If you do not vote you will be sent a letter requesting that you provide a valid reason for not voting or pay a fine. Voting in elections is empowering and allows you to elect your representatives Voting gives you an opportunity to have your say on a range of important issues When we vote, we choose the representatives who will make the laws and policies that govern how we live together If you don t vote, you let other people decide how you should be governed Voting is a fundamental democratic right and is the cornerstone of our democracy pg19

HOW ARE VOTES COUNTED? FEDERAL AND STATE LOWER HOUSES For the Federal House of Representatives (Lower House) and the Victorian State Legislative Assembly (Lower House) votes are counted using the full preferential count method. In the preferential voting system, if one candidate gains an absolute majority of first preference votes (more than 50%) that candidate is elected. If none of the candidates achieves an absolute majority, the candidate with the smallest number of votes is excluded. These ballot papers are then distributed to the remaining candidates according to the second preferences marked on them. This process is continued until one candidate achieves an absolute majority. FEDERAL AND STATE UPPER HOUSES For the Federal Senate (Upper House) and the Victorian State Legislative Council (Upper House) the votes are counted using the proportional representation count method. Under this system candidates must win a specific proportion of the electors votes (a quota) to be elected. The quota is worked out by dividing the total number of formal ballot papers by one more than the number of vacancies to be filled, then adding 1 to the result. Candidates can achieve a quota either through their first preference votes, or through preferences from other candidates. LOCAL COUNCIL ELECTIONS Where there are single-councillor wards, votes are counted using the full preferential count method described above. In unsubdivided municipalities and in multi-councillor wards, votes are counted using the proportional representation count method. pg20

OK, I M ENROLLED, BUT WHAT DO I DO IF I CHANGE MY ADDRESS? vec.vic.gov.au Level 11, 530 Collins Street, Melbourne pg21

DID YOU KNOW... IN 2010 FRANKSTON CITY COUNCIL ELECTED ONE OF VICTORIA S YOUNGEST MAYORS KRISTOPHER BOLAM, AT AGE 24

WANT TO KNOW MORE? Visit our website... vec.vic.gov.au Contact us at: Victorian Electoral Commission Level 11, 530 Collins Street, Melbourne, Victoria 3000 Or call us on: 131 VEC (131 832) +61 3 8620 1100 (from outside Australia) National Relay Service: The Victorian Electoral Commission uses the National Relay Service. If you are deaf, or have a hearing-impairment or a speech-impairment, we ask that you call us via the National Relay Service TTY users phone 133 677 then ask for 03 8620 1100. Speak & Listen users (speech-to-speech relay) phone 1300 555 727 then ask for 03 8620 1100. Internet relay users connect to the National Relay Service via www.relayservice.com.au and then ask for 03 8620 1100. pg23

IF YOU REQUIRE THE ASSISTANCE OF AN INTERPRETER... For information on government, elections and voting in Victoria, telephone the number in the language you require. Cantonese (03) 9209 0101 Dinka Në lëk ke akuma, alööc ku löc në Victoria yic, alim ba yup në (03) 9209 0119. Mandarin (03) 9209 0106 For all other languages, please call (03) 9209 0112. State of Victoria 2015 This publication is copyright. No part may be reproduced by any process except in accordance withe provisions of the Copyright Act 1968. Address all enquiries to the Victorian Electoral Commission, Level 11, 530 Collins Street, Melbourne, Victoria 3000. Reprinted in January 2015.

EDU-YVYF-04 Jan 2015