Special categories of enrolment exist for people with special needs or with specific circumstances that may affect their enrolment. Show
You cannot change your enrolment details over the phone or by post. You may only update your details online or by fax. Registered declaration votingElectoral Commission of South Australia maintains a register of voters who are permanently prevented from attending a polling booth and meet certain criteria. These voters are called registered declaration voters for state elections and general postal voters for federal elections. Once registered, you do not need to re-apply for future elections. To apply to become a registered declaration voter you must meet one of the following criteria that prevent you from attending a polling place on polling day:
To become a registered declaration voter, you can: Register online This is an external link to the Australian Electoral Commission. For any questions about the register of declared voters, call 13 23 26. Silent electorsSilent electors have their address suppressed from the electoral roll. If you believe that your safety or the safety of your family members may be at risk by having your address on the electoral roll, then you can apply to become a silent elector. People applying to be silent electors can request their ballot papers for all elections to be sent to them by post. For more information and to access the silent elector application form, visit the Australian Electoral Commission's silent electors page. Going overseasIt is not compulsory to vote at South Australian elections if you are travelling or living overseas. You will be automatically excused from voting at State elections if you notify the Australian Electoral Commission that you are living or travelling overseas. See the Australian Electoral Commission's going overseas page for notification forms and instructions. If you were overseas for a State Election, or for a by-election, you will be excused for not voting. Complete the email form on the contact us page. Include your full name, date of birth, and enrolled address. Enrolment for people with no fixed addressPeople with no fixed address have different enrolment and voting requirements. Enrolment There is a specific enrolment form for people with no fixed address. It is available: How do I return my signed form? You can upload your scanned signed form or return by fax. Scan and upload to the Australian Electoral Commission: Upload your scanned signed form Fax to: Voting If you are enrolled as a person with no fixed address you can vote at any polling place in South Australia or at an interstate early voting centre. If you are enrolled as a person with no fixed address and do not vote at an election you will not be fined. Your name will be removed from the electoral roll but you can re-enrol at any time. Electors unable to sign their name due to physical incapacityIf you are unable to sign your name due to a physical disability you may get someone else to complete your enrolment form and sign it on your behalf. You will need a registered medical practitioner to complete and sign the medical certificate on this form. See the Australian Electoral Commission and select the South Australia – Unable to sign form PrisonersIt is compulsory for South Australian prisoners to vote in State elections and keep their enrolment details up to date. If you are currently serving a prison sentence you may need to update your enrolment details. See the Australian Electoral Commission and select the South Australia – Prisoner enrolment form Page 2
Updated: 13 February 2019 This page describes the process of voting at a polling place on election day. On this page:Polling day is always on a Saturday. Polling places open between 8am and 6pm and are usually located in local schools, church halls or public buildings. When you enter the polling place, a polling official will direct you to an issuing table as one becomes available. There you will speak to a ballot paper issuing officer who will ask you a couple of questions before you are issued with your ballot papers. You will then be directed to one of the polling booths set up around the room for you to cast your vote in private. As you approach the exit there will be two ballot boxes into which you place your completed ballot papers. One is for the House of Representatives ballot paper and the other is for the Senate ballot paper. These will be clearly marked and a person will be at the ballot boxes to assist. How-to-vote cardsVolunteers from political parties stand outside polling places distributing how-to-vote cards. These cards show voters how political parties or candidates would like you to vote. They may be taken into the polling place to assist in marking ballot papers. Although how-to-vote cards may encourage voters to mark their preferences in a particular order, the final choice on how to complete the ballot paper is up to you. Questions you will be askedQuestion 1: 'What is your full name?'This enables the polling official to look up your name on the certified list which is a copy of the electoral roll for that division. If your name is on the certified list, you will be asked the next question. Question 2: 'Where do you live?'If the address given is the same as that shown on the certified list you will be asked the next question. Question 3: 'Have you voted before in THIS election?'If you have not voted before in this election, you will be issued with ballot papers – one for the House of Representatives and one for the Senate. If you have voted, you are not entitled to cast another vote and will not be issued with ballot papers. Casting your voteThe polling official will initial each ballot paper on the front near the top right-hand corner. The polling official will give you your ballot papers when there is a vacant polling booth available so you may mark the ballot paper in secret. You will be advised to:
For further information on how to complete your ballot papers, please see Voting – House of Representatives and Voting – The Senate. The polling place closesThe doors of the polling place close at exactly 6pm sharp. Any person still in the polling place still has a right to vote. The counting of votes, or 'scrutiny' begins in the polling places as soon as the poll closes. Figure 1: The issuing of ballot papersWhat is a Declaration Vote at a polling place?You are issued a declaration vote if your name and/or address details cannot be found on the certified list used at the polling place at which you have come to vote, or if your name has already been marked as having voted. The envelope used to seal your ballot papers is called a declaration vote envelope. Your declaration vote ballot papers are inserted into the envelope and forwarded to the division in which you are claiming enrolment. The envelope has a counterfoil which is removed and filed in a 'declaration records' folder. This is a record that you voted at that particular polling place. You 'declare' that you are entitled to vote by signing the envelope. There are two types of declaration votes issued at a polling place.An absent vote will be issued to you if you are not on the certified list because your enrolled address is outside the division. A provisional vote will be issued to you if you are claiming to be enrolled for an address within the division but if:
you will be asked to read the provisional voting statement before completing a declaration vote envelope. The statement is written on the back of the envelope and sets out your rights. After you have read it, it is your decision as to whether you still wish to vote. Completion of the declaration envelopeThe declaration envelope has two sections – one section for you to complete and one for the polling official to complete using the details provided by you in the first section. You will:
The polling official will:
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