Here’s everything you need to know about the voting assistance available for seniors in the upcoming Queensland 2024 State General Election
About the 2024 Queensland State General Election
WHAT: Queensland’s State General Election
WHEN: Saturday 26 October 2024 from 8.00am – 6.00pm
EARLY VOTING: Monday 14 October to Friday 25 October 2024 from 8am-6pm (excluding the weekend)
Voting is compulsory for all Queensland residents over the age of 18.
To check your enrolment details, you can visit the Australian Electoral Commission website.
Voting assistance for seniors
Voting can be a stressful experience for seniors, which is why the State Government has these support services to help us all have our say:
Residential care voting
The Electoral Commission Queensland visits some registered declared institutions, such as aged care facilities. This visit allows residents to vote at a voting booth set up in the residence or from their bed if they cannot leave their room.
Information about these visits, including dates and times, will be provided to residents by each facility’s administration.
AEC staff can provide voting assistance for residents to help them personally cast their vote where required.
Early voting by post
If you aren’t already registered to vote by post in Australian elections, you can apply online here: Postal Vote application | Electoral Commission of Queensland (elections.qld.gov.au)
Read more: Postal voting | Electoral Commission of Queensland (ecq.qld.gov.au)
Early voting at a polling booth
Hundreds of early voting centres will progressively open and be available over the two weeks before voting day.
Here is a full list of polling places and pre-poll voting centres: Find My Polling Site | Electoral Commission of Queensland (elections.qld.gov.au)
Voting assistance on election day
Bring a helper
If you need help voting, you can bring a friend or relative with you to the polling place.
Your assistant can act as an interpreter, read the ballot paper to you, complete your ballot paper according to your instructions and place your ballot paper in the ballot box.
Ask polling staff for help
Polling staff are specially trained and happy to assist on voting day.
Visit an accessible polling place
The location of polling places and early voting centres will be published on the ECQ’s website before an election. We include information about accessibility for every polling place and early voting centre.
If you go to a polling place and are not able to access the voting centre, an election official can:
- bring ballot papers to your vehicle
- give you time to complete the ballot paper
- place your ballot paper in the ballot box.
The election official will be accompanied by another person to ensure your ballot paper is submitted correctly.
There will be a sign outside the polling place with the phone number to call to request this service.
Frequently asked questions
Can you vote on behalf of an elderly loved one?
No. There is no provision for proxy voting, so even if you have a Power of Attorney in place, no person is permitted to vote on behalf of another individual.
Can a person with dementia vote?
People in the early stages of dementia, who are still capable of understanding the nature and significance of enrolment and voting, can continue to be enrolled and vote in the 2023 referendum.
If this is not the case for a loved one, you can remove them from the enrolment list by completing this form and returning it to the AEC: Objection claim that an elector should not be enrolled (aec.gov.au)
Can you vote by telephone?
You may be able to vote over the phone. People with disability who need assistance voting or cannot get to a polling place are eligible.
Telephone voting involves several steps and 2 phone calls. This helps make sure your vote is safe and anonymous.
If you qualify to vote by phone, contact the ECQ at 1300 912 782 to register. For the 2024 State general election, registration opens the same time early voting begins (Monday 14 October).
Read more: Voting by telephone (ecq.qld.gov.au)
What do you need to bring to the polling place?
The only thing you need to bring to the polling place is yourself. When you arrive at the polling place, a polling official will ask you three questions:
- What is your full name?
- Where do you live?
- Have you voted before in this referendum?
If your answers match what is on the electoral roll, and you have not voted before in the election, the polling official will mark you off the electoral roll, hand you a ballot paper and a pencil, and direct to a voting screen where you can cast your vote.
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