Have your say! Sarah explains how to enrol and vote in the NSW State Election.

Download Easy Read resources for the election:

• How to Vote (accessible PDF)
• Homelessness and Voting (accessible PDF)

The video and resources were made with the NSW Electoral Commission.

Transcript

Council for Intellectual Disability – your right to vote

On Saturday the 25th of March 2023 there is a New South Wales state election. This is when you get to decide who represents you in the New South Wales Parliament. You are voting for people to make decisions about state-wide issues like housing and hospitals education roads and railways. This means you get to have a chance to have your say on which issues are important to you.

In Australia, everybody has to vote but more importantly everybody has the right to vote. Even if you have an intellectual disability just like me. My intellectual disability does not stop me from having my say and it shouldn’t stop you either.

Voting might seem a little bit hard, confusing or a little bit scary but I am going to show you a few easy ways to help you to vote.

Enrolling

If you want to vote you have to be 18 years and over and an Australian citizen. You also need to enrol.

Enrolling to vote is easy. You can enrol online or fill out an enrolment form. If you need help you can ask a family member a friend or a support worker.

Voting options: Postal voting

If it is hard for you to get to a voting centre on Election Day, you can do a postal vote. You have to apply for a postal vote online or send an application in the mail. The website you go to is elections.nsw.gov.au.

After you have done this you will be sent your postal ballot papers. Once you have filled them out you need to send them back before the due date. You will need a witness to sign.

Early voting

If you can’t vote on the day that’s okay, you can go to an early voting centre in your local area. Early voting is open for one week before election day. There are early voting centers in most areas. You can find out where they are on the website or on the phone.

So, what if you decide you want to be part of all the fun on Election Day? Yay!

“Sarah shall we look up your address and find out where you can vote?”.

On the website type in your address and you’ll see a list of places you can go.

“It looks like you can vote at the school down the road. Do you want to go there on the day?”

“Yes.”

You can vote between 8am in the morning and 6pm at night. At the voting centre you may have to wait in line to have your vote.

“Please proceed to vote.”

When it’s your turn give your name and address to the friendly staff.

“Hey what’s your name?”

“Sarah Smith.”

“Sarah Smith, have you voted before Sarah?

“No.”

Now they will mark your name off the roll. They will give you two ballot papers to vote with. There is a big ballot paper. That’s for the upper house. It is known as the legislative Council. And there is a small ballot paper for the lower house it is known as the legislative assembly.

It is important to read the instructions on the ballot papers to understand how to fill in your ballot papers correctly.

“Excuse me can you please help?”

But if you need help, ask the friendly staff in blue vests.

“Yes so you have two options to vote either above the line or below the line…”

Your vote is private and you don’t have to tell anyone who you’re voting for.

Once you’ve voted fold the ballot papers and put them in the ballot box.

So guess what? You’ve just heard your say on who is going to make decisions for New South Wales. Isn’t that fantastic?

For more information visit the website elections.nsw.gov.au.