This year, Australian citizens will vote in a federal election to elect members of the 48th Parliament of Australia. 

To help you prepare for the election on Saturday 3 May, we're releasing a series of articles, answering the most common questions you might have.

From how to vote to educational resources to help you decide who to vote for, we're committed to making sure you're confident voting, whether it's your first time or your fifth. 

This article is the second in our series, covering resources and tools to support making your voting decision and how the electoral process works, including an explanation of preferential voting.  

Read our first article: What is a federal election and how do I vote?

How do I find my electorate?

Visit the Australian Electoral Commission's (AEC) 'find my electorate' page and search for your electorate by your locality/suburb or postcode. 

You may find that your suburb is across multiple electorates. See the AEC's current federal electoral divisions to view maps displaying electoral boundaries.

When you check your enrolment, you'll also be able to see which electorate you're in.

Who are the candidates for my electorate?

Visit the AEC's 'who are my candidates' page to search for candidates by suburb or postcode, and to download a full list of House of Representatives and Senate candidates. 

Who are the Senators and Members for my state/territory?

The Parliament of Australia Senators and Members search is a searchable list of all current Senators and Members. The list includes information about which state or territory they represent, what party they're connected to, and what positions they hold.  

Where can I find registered political parties? 

The AEC's register of political parties is a searchable list of all current political parties in Australia, including local branches of parties. 

Where can I find information about candidates and political parties?

There are several channels and forums you can engage with to learn more about candidates and political parties in the lead up to and on election day. These include: 

• their website 
• their social media 
• media (e.g. television or radio advertisements, news interviews) – view our subscriptions page for free access to a wide range of media publications. 
• print communications (e.g. flyers, how-to-vote cards) 
• in person (e.g. at local Town Halls, via a party or campaign worker on election day)

Generally, electoral communication – statements or messages likely to influence voting decisions – will require authorisation. Authorisation helps voters understand where communications have come from and whom it's connected to. Learn more about authorisation for electoral communications on the AEC website.  

Candidates and political parties may also communicate using bulk text messages, making calls to voters, and knocking on people's doors to talk to them about the election.

Want to learn more about the factors defining this election? Read our expert explainer on the key issues for the 2025 Australian federal election and view our latest news relating to government and politics. 

How can I spot disinformation and misinformation?

The spread of dis- and misinformation has become more prominent with the rise of social media and artificial intelligence (AI). In the lead up to the federal election, it's important you know how to recognise disinformation and misinformation when you see, hear or read it. 

Disinformation is the spread of false information with the intent to mislead, deceive, or influence, whereas misinformation is the spread of false information without malicious intent. Misinformation is usually spread due to ignorance or by mistake. 

View the AEC's disinformation register for the 2025 federal election to see prominent pieces of disinformation the AEC has discovered about the electoral process, and details of actions the AEC has taken in response.

The AEC's Stop and Consider campaign encourages voters to stop, check and consider what they see, hear and read about the voting process. While the AEC's campaign is focused on how to spot false or misleading information in relation to the voting process, their tips can be applied to all electoral communications.

Here are the AEC's top tips to spotting dis- and misinformation: 

• Check the content: Look out for communications that cause strong feelings, don't make sense or only include parts of a story. 
• Check the source: Consider where the information came from, how and when it was made and why it was made. 
• Check information on the AEC website: If you need to fact-check information about electorates, enrolment or the electoral process, visit the AEC website. 

What is preferential voting?

Preferential voting means voters can indicate an order of preferences for candidates and parties/groups on the ballot paper. That is, who they want as their first choice, their second choice, and so on. 

For Australian federal elections, candidates and parties/groups must receive an absolute majority – more than 50 percent of the total formal votes cast – to be elected. If the absolute majority is not gained on the first count, then preferences are distributed until an absolute majority is achieved. 

Preferential voting means your vote will always count and you can't 'waste' your vote. The full value of your vote will always count to one of the two top candidates and parties/groups. 

How does preferential voting work for the House of Representatives? 

For the House of Representatives (green ballot), voters must mark a preference for every listed candidate.

Voters will need to put a '1' in the box beside the candidate for their first choice, '2' in the box beside their second choice, and so on, until all boxes have been numbered. Voters need to number every box for their vote to count. 

If your first choice receives the lowest number of votes, the full value of your vote goes to your second choice and so on. The full value of your vote will reach one of the top two candidates in the contest. 

If your first choice is one of the two top candidates, that's where your vote stays. 

For a visual explanation of this process, watch the AEC's 'Preferential voting: House of Representatives explainer' video YouTube. 

How does preferential voting work for the Senate? 

For the Senate (white ballot), voters must mark a preference for a designated number of parties/groups or candidates. Voters can choose to vote either above the line or below the line.

• Above the line: Number at least six boxes for parties or groups in the order of your choice (with '1' as your first choice). 
• Below the line: Number at least 12 boxes for individual candidates in the order of your choice (with '1' as your first choice). 

Like the House of Representatives (green ballot) vote, preferential voting is in place for the Senate (white ballot). This means that either way you decide to vote – above or below the line – the full value of your vote will reach one of the top two parties/groups or candidates in the contest. 

For a visual explanation of this process, watch the AEC's 'Preferential voting: Senate explainer' video on YouTube. 

How are the votes counted?

Votes are counted manually by AEC workers across the country. Approximently 20–25 million ballot papers will be counted on election night (from 6 pm after the polls close), but this is only an indicative count. 

In the days and weeks following the election, AEC workers will continue to:

• count millions of postal and overseas ballot papers
• conduct a secondary count and deliver a full distribution of preferences the House of Representatives (green ballot)
• scan, conduct data-entry for and verify millions of Senate (white ballot) preferences

Learn more about how the votes are counted on the AEC website. 

Hero photo credit: Australian Electoral Comission (AEC) – flikr.