Information on how to register and vote in the upcoming state election in Victoria is provided below.

As Victorians head to the polls today, nearly 2 million residents of the state have already cast their ballots.

An all-time high number of Victorians heeded the advice of the Victorian Electoral Commission to cast their ballots early this year, setting a new state record in the process.

This guide will answer all of your questions regarding voting, including where your electorate is located and how the voting process works.

How does the election process for the state work?

The Victorian Parliament is composed of a Lower House and an Upper House.

The Legislative Assembly is considered the "lower house," while the Legislative Council is considered the "upper house."

You will cast your ballot for one candidate to represent your district in the lower house and five candidates to represent your district in the upper house during the state election.

Members of Parliament, or MPs, are those individuals who are elected to represent you in Parliament.

One Member of Parliament (MP) is elected to represent the 88 constituencies that make up the lower house in Victoria. The Victorian government is formed by the political party or coalition that holds a majority of seats in the lower house.

At the moment, the Andrews Labor government controls 55 seats, while the Liberal-National Coalition only has 27 seats under their control.

There are three seats held by the Green Party, and the remaining three are held by independent members of parliament.

The Upper House is comprised of forty Members of Parliament (MPs), with each of Victoria's eight regions being represented by five MPs.

Members of the Upper House are responsible for analyzing legislation that has been approved by Members of the Lower House.

Currently, there is a much wider spread of minor parties in the upper house, with 10 parties sharing a total of 13 seats. On the other hand, both Labor and the Coalition control a total of 26 seats.

Are you registered to vote in your country?

Voting in a state election is obligatory for Victorian citizens over the age of 18 who are residents of the state.

Residents must have been enrolled in the state voter registration system by the end of business on Tuesday, November 8, 2022, in order to be eligible to vote in the state election in 2022.

On the VEC website, applications for enrollment, updates to existing enrollment, and enrollment checks can be made.

Those British subjects who were registered to vote in Australia between October 26, 1983 and January 26, 1984 are required to re-enroll and vote in the new election.

Where do you have your enrollment?

In October of 2021, the Electoral Boundaries Commission (abbreviated as EBC) carried out a redivision, which is essentially a review of the district and region boundaries in Victoria.

During the process, which included gathering feedback from the local community, voting districts and regions were reorganized so as to keep roughly the same number of registered voters in each one.

On November 1st, the revised electoral boundaries for Victoria went into effect. These had been proposed previously.  

This indicates that approximately twenty percent of Victorians who voted in the 2018 election now reside in a different electoral district or region than they did at the time of that election.

Electoral boundaries are being redrawn all over Metropolitan Melbourne, with larger electoral boundaries being established in the city's north-east and south-east. ( The Victorian Electoral Commission has provided the information. )

For instance, if two people lived in Altona and Altona Meadows in 2018, they would have both been eligible to vote in the Altona district.

As a result of the redivision, the resident of Altona will now be enrolled in the newly created Williamstown district, while the resident of Altona Meadows will vote in the newly created Point Cook district.

As a result of the redivisions, Western Victoria will experience some growth. ( The Victorian Electoral Commission has provided the information. )

The redivisions will also apply to the chamber in the upper house.

As a result of the redivision, an individual who resides in Charlton, which is located in the north-west part of the state, will have their enrolment moved from the Western Victoria district to the Northern Victoria district.

You do not need to do anything in order for this to take effect so long as you are enrolled in the program.

On the website of the EBC, you can find both maps of the new boundaries as well as an interactive tool.

How can you cast your vote?

Today, between the hours of 8:00 AM and 6:00 PM, voters can cast their ballots at any of the polling stations located across the state.

On the website of the VEC, you can find the locations of voting centers.

Voters will receive two ballot papers, one each for the House of Commons and the House of Lords.  

You have to number each box on the ballot for the lower house, which is significantly smaller, in the order that you prefer.

You have to number every box on the ballot for the Lower House, and you have to do so in the order that you choose. ( The Victorian Electoral Commission has provided the information. )

On the other hand, the ballot for the larger upper house gives you the option to vote either above or below the line.

If you cast your vote above the line, you need to check only one box with the number "1" for it to be counted. If you vote below the line, you must check all of the boxes.

The group voting ticket(s) registered by the group you've chosen will then decide how your preferences should be weighted in the final tally.

In contrast to federal elections, in which the ballot paper for the upper house (Senate) can have more than one box numbered, this is not the case here.

If you vote below the line, you need to number at least five boxes for your vote to be valid. If you vote above the line, you only need to number three boxes.

If you do any of the following with your ballot, it will be thrown out and counted as an "informal vote":

• Fill out each box with a checkmark, a cross, or any other appropriate symbol.
• do not assign sufficient numbers to the boxes.
• miss or repeat numbers in the count.
• Don't fill in the spaces on the ballot.

On the VEC website, you'll find a lot more details than that.

What if I am not in Victoria on the day of the election?

Voting is not required if you are not in Victoria during the election period (including on election day), but residents are required to notify the VEC if they are going to be out of the country or otherwise unavailable to vote.

Those who fill out the form should make sure to keep a record of their travel plans in the event that they are issued an "Apparent Failure to Vote" notice.

The application period for voting by mail is now over. Today, ballots that have been filled out and signed need to be mailed in before 6pm.

Voting in person is the only option for those who have not received their ballot package by today's deadline.

Voting by phone is an option for some eligible voters.

Those residents of Victoria who are blind, have low vision, or have a motor impairment and are unable to vote without assistance or who are unable to travel to a voting center because of a bushfire, flood, or other declared emergency situation are eligible to register to vote over the phone.

What if I test positive for COVID-19?

COVID-positive voters who missed the application deadline for the postal vote will have the opportunity to vote via a COVID-safe drive-through service. These voters will have a few different options to choose from.

Today, between the hours of 8:00 AM and 6:00 PM, there will be a drive-through voting center available at 149 Barries Road, Melton West.

In order for voters to be eligible for the service, they are required to remain in their vehicles and present either a positive RAT or a text message from the Department of Health confirming a positive test result.

The Voter Electoral Commission (VEC) has stated that it is taking this action "in good conscience" after having previously decided that telephone voting would not be available due to the removal of the requirements for emergency declaration and isolation.

It advises people who have COVID but are unable to get to the drive-through center that they should keep proof in case they receive a notice of apparent failure to vote in the early 2023.

Earlier this month, the Commissioner of the Victorian Electoral Commission, Warwick Gately, stated on ABC Radio Melbourne that while he was unable to provide Victorians with specific health advice, there were strong COVID-safe measures being taken by staff at voting centers.

"So you can attend an early voting centre or an election day voting centre at your decision, quite safely," he said, noting that there were no restrictions on COVID-positive people in the community. "So you can attend an early voting centre or an election day voting centre at your decision," he said.

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