You may apply for a postal vote if you cannot attend a polling place in your area/ward on election day between 8 am and 6 pm for any of the following reasons. You:

• will not be in your ward/council area
• will not be within 8 km of any polling place
• will be travelling under conditions which will prevent attending a polling place
• are seriously ill or disabled and cannot attend a polling place
• are prevented by approaching maternity from attending a polling place
• are a member of a religious order or have religious beliefs which prevent you from attending a polling place or voting during polling hours
• are in a correctional centre and are precluded from attending a polling place
• are at a place other than a hospital, caring for a person who needs care for medical reasons and will be prevented from attending a polling place; or
• will be working during polling hours and are unable to attend a polling place
• are a silent elector. 

Postal vote applications

You must complete a postal vote application form and submit by post or fax to your council’s returning officer for receipt by not later than 5 pm on the Monday before election day. Make sure you apply early so that voting material can be sent to you before election day.

Once your application has been processed you will be sent postal vote ballot papers and a declaration envelope for their return. You must complete the ballot papers and sign and date the certificate in the presence of a witness. It can be posted to the returning officer or handed in at any polling place on election day.

At the time of an election, application forms for postal votes are available here, from your council office or from your returning officer.

Postal Vote Application Form - Local Council Elections 2008
(PDF)[157.0 kb]

Registered general postal voter (RGPV)

If you are a registered general postal voter for federal/state elections the returning officer will automatically send your postal ballot papers.