There are options for people with special needs or with specific circumstances that may affect their enrolment.
- Long-term travellers within Australia (who will return to a permanent enrolled address)
- Overseas
- People with no fixed address (itinerant, homeless, living in crisis or transitional accommodation)
- Prisoners
- Registered declaration voters
- Silent electors
- Unable to sign name due to physical incapacity
Long-term travellers within Australia
If you are travelling around Australia for an extended period but intend to return to your permanent address, you can inform the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) of your absence from your permanent address to make sure you are not removed from the electoral roll.
Travellers voting in SA state elections
A number of voting options are available to you during a state election, including:
- voting by post
- voting at an early voting centre in South Australia before polling day
- voting at an interstate electoral commission office before polling day
If you are travelling and unable to vote during a South Australian state election you can contact us by:
- completing the enquiry form (stating your reason for not voting)
- calling us on 1300 655 232
Overseas
It is not compulsory to vote at South Australian elections if you are travelling or living overseas.
You will be automatically excused from voting in state elections if you notify the AEC that you are travelling or living overseas. Find out more on the AEC's website.
Overseas during a SA state election
If you were overseas for a state election or by-election (and did not notify the AEC) you will be excused for not voting by sending us an email using our enquiry form. Please include your full name, date of birth and enrolled address.
People with no fixed address
If you are an Australian citizen and aged 18 years or over, and have no real place of living, you may be eligible to enrol as an itinerant voter. You must complete a specific enrolment form.
You can complete the enrolment form or find more information about enrolling as a person with no fixed address on the AEC's website.
Voting in SA state elections
You can attend any polling booth in South Australia or an interstate early voting centre. If you are enrolled as a person with no fixed address and do not vote, you will not be fined. Your name will be removed from the electoral roll but you can re-enrol at any time.
Prisoners
It is compulsory for South Australian prisoners to vote in state elections and keep their enrolment details up to date. If you are currently serving a prison sentence you may need to update your enrolment details. Find out more information on the AEC's website.
Registered declaration voters
The Electoral Commission SA (ECSA) maintains a register of voters who meet a certain criteria that prevents them from attending a polling booth at state elections and by-elections. These voters are called registered declaration voters for state elections and general postal voters for federal elections.
Once registered, ECSA will automatically send out a postal voting pack at each election. You do not need to re-apply for future elections.
To apply to become a registered declaration voter you must meet one of the following criteria that prevent you from attending a polling place on polling day:
Eligibility criteria
- Distance – you are enrolled at an address more than 20 km away from any polling place
- Illness – you are a patient at a hospital or nursing home and unable to travel to a polling place
- Infirmity – you are unable to travel to a polling place due to being infirm or seriously ill at home
- Caring for others – caring for a person who is seriously ill or infirm
- Physical disability – you are unable to sign your name due to a physical incapacity
- Religion – your religious beliefs or membership of a religious order prevent you from attending a polling place on polling day
- Overseas – you are an elector who is registered as an overseas elector
- Silent elector – you are an elector whose address has been suppressed
To register, complete an application form on the AEC's website.
Silent electors
You can apply to be registered as a silent elector if you believe having your address included on the publicly available electoral roll could put you or your family's safety at risk. Find out more or complete the application form on the AEC's website.
As a silent elector you can register as a postal voter to have ballot papers automatically sent to you when an election is called.
Unable to sign name due to physical incapacity
If you are unable to sign your name due to a physical incapacity, you may get someone else to complete the enrolment form and sign it on your behalf. You will also need to have a registered medical practitioner complete and sign the medical certificate on the form. Download the form or find out more information on the AEC's website.