Expat Aussies and voting -the roll is closing!

Australians will go to the polls in a national election on September 7^th 2013.  

Voting is compulsory in Australia.  It’s a responsibility of citizenship for everyone over the age of eighteen and fines are issued after each election to some of those who failed to sign in at a polling booth.  The responsibility to vote doesn’t end if an Australian citizen is living overseas. 

If you are enrolled on the Australian electoral roll and intend to return to Australia within the next six years you can vote from overseas –instructions are here 

You can remove yourself from the electoral roll if you intend to be overseas indefinitely or if you are overseas and cannot vote –see here  

Australian embassies, consulates and high commissions around the world will become voting centres and can provide further information about how to vote closer to the first Saturday in September, but an important date is approaching fast. 

The electoral roll will close on 8:00pm Monday, August 12, 2013 (AEST).  If you have recently turned eighteen while living overseas, if your address or details have changed, or if you want to register as an overseas voter or remove yourself from the roll using the forms above you have until this date to get it sorted.