Your guide to the federal election

Held every three years, the federal election is a chance to have your say about who you want to lead the country. Voting is very important because the decisions the government makes during those three years affect us all, including those who are ineligible to vote, like Australians aged under 18 or people who live in Australia but aren’t citizens. For example, the social media ban for under-16s that was recently passed into law will affect many Australian children and young people, even though they aren’t old enough to vote.  

In Australia, voting in an election is compulsory by law for every eligible Australian citizen aged 18 years and over. So, to avoid paying a fine, you will need to do your civic duty and vote. But there are so many other great reasons to vote as well! 

Whether you’re a first-time or seasoned voter, your vote matters a lot. Voting is one of the most powerful ways you can have a direct impact on the Australian Government and the policies it makes that will affect generations to come. Some past elections have been decided on just a handful of votes, so even if it may feel like your vote won’t make a difference to the election outcome, it can have a bigger impact than you think.  

As we mentioned earlier, this election is also the first time that Gen Z and Millennials will make up the biggest voting bloc in Australia – making up more than 40 per cent of eligible voters. That means that this year, more than ever before, young people have a big say when it comes to who’s running the country.  

“This is our chance as young people to shape our future. Issues such as cost-of-living, digital wellbeing, and the climate crisis are central in this election. Let's inherit a future that we can say we were proud to have voted for.” – Charlotte, 22, UNICEF Australia Young Ambassador 

Even if you’re not that interested in politics, it’s important that you make an informed decision at the ballot box and vote according to your own values, rather than those of your family or friends. For some people, this can be really hard to do. 

Voting for candidates and parties that align with your own values ensures that your interests and concerns are represented, even if your preferred candidate doesn’t win. Your vote helps decide who will make important decisions about policies that will affect all Australians now and into the future, so an informed vote helps shape a better future for everyone.  

“Do your research using a variety of sources. It doesn’t have to be a full deep dive into every policy that a candidate has ever pledged. Research can be done in a variety of ways: reading news articles, watching the news and even scrolling TikTok or Instagram – as long as you’re aware of the biases and the context behind the political content you’re consuming.” - Chelsea, 18, UNICEF Australia Young Ambassador 

Every federal election, Australians vote for political candidates to represent them in the two houses of Australian Parliament: the House of Representatives and the Senate. So, when you vote, you’ll fill out two ballot papers: the big, white one for the Senate, and the smaller green one for the House of Representatives. 

If you’ve ever been on a school excursion to Canberra, you might already know the difference between the two houses of Parliament. But if you need a refresher, the House of Representatives – or Lower House – has 150 seats for each member of Parliament (MP) representing 150 electorates in Australia. Whichever party wins 76 or more seats here wins the election. The Lower House is where most legislation - called bills - is introduced to the government before becoming law.  

Once a bill is approved by the Lower House, it then moves to the Senate – or Upper House – for further debate. There are 76 senators in total, 12 from each state and two from each territory. If the bill is approved by the Senate, it’s then approved by the Governor-General – the federal representative of the monarch of Australia, currently King Charles III – before it becomes law. 

In Australia, we use something called preferential voting to determine which candidate wins. You can read more about what preferential voting is and how it works here, but it basically means that your vote isn’t wasted if your favourite candidate doesn’t win.  

Get the full details about how Australia’s voting system works here.  

Enrolment for the 2025 election has now closed. For next time, first-time voters will need to register here before the election with the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC). The AEC is an independent agency of the Australian Government that oversees Australian federal elections as well as by-elections, plebiscites and referendums.  

If you have voted before but have changed your name or address since the last election, you’ll need to update your details on the AEC website.  

If you missed the enrolment deadline, you won’t be able to vote in the 2025 federal election and won’t face a fine. However, you can still update your details or enrol to vote for future elections. 

If you want to find out more about how federal elections work, or which parties and candidates are running in the election and what they stand for, check out some helpful resources below. 

UNICEF Australia Young Ambassador Charlotte also recommends following social media accounts such The Daily Aus that post easy-to-understand information aimed at young people, as well as reaching out to Australian youth-led organisations who can help you find out more about issues that are affecting children and young people and what political candidates are pledging to do about them.   

“Ask for support if you need help navigating the election process so that you can vote for candidates who align with your values,” Charlotte suggests.  

There are so many ways to stay politically engaged once Election Day is over. Here are some ideas to get you started: 

• Stay engaged on social media – Follow politicians, trustworthy news outlets and advocacy groups on social media to keep updated on current events and announcements. 
• Participate in protests or rallies – Peaceful protests and rallies are powerful ways to show support for causes you believe in and to demand change from policymakers.  
• Join or support advocacy groups – Getting involved with organisations that focus on issues you care about such as climate change or human rights can help you stay informed as well as meet like-minded people.  
• Attend community meetings – Local councils and community groups often hold meetings where members of the public can share their thoughts on issues affecting their communities.  
• Write to your representative – If you have something you want your local, state, or federal representative to hear about an issue you care about, get in contact with them directly via email or in person if you know they’ll be attending an event in your area.  
• Volunteer in the next election – There are plenty of opportunities to get involved on Election Day, whether it’s working as an election official for the AEC or volunteering for a political party. It’s a great way to see how the political process works behind the scenes.  
• Run for office – If you’re passionate about making a difference, consider running for a position in local government or your student council.