Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918

An elector may apply to the Electoral Commissioner for registration as a general postal voter for a Division.

An application shall be made on one of the following grounds:

the applicant’s real place of living is not within 20 kilometres, by the shortest practicable route, of any polling place;

the applicant:

is a patient at a hospital (other than a hospital that is a polling place); and

because of serious illness or infirmity, is unable to travel from the hospital to a polling place;

because of serious illness or infirmity, the applicant is unable to travel from the place where he or she lives to a polling place;

because the applicant is a person with disability, the applicant is unable to travel from the place where the applicant lives to a polling place;

because the applicant will be at a place (other than a hospital) caring for a person with disability, the applicant is unable to travel from that place to a polling place;

because the applicant will be at a place (other than a hospital) caring for a person who is seriously ill or infirm, the applicant is unable to travel from that place to a polling place;

the applicant is detained in custody;

the enrolment of the applicant was obtained by means of a claim signed under subsection 98(3);

a registered medical practitioner has certified, in writing, that the applicant is so physically incapacitated as to be incapable of signing his or her name;

the applicant’s address has been excluded from the Roll under section 104;

because of the applicant’s religious beliefs or membership of a religious order, the applicant:

is precluded from attending a polling booth; or

for the greater part of the hours of polling on polling day, is precluded from attending a polling booth;

the applicant is a defence member, or defence civilian, who is serving outside Australia;

the applicant is an AFP officer or staff member who is serving outside Australia;

the applicant is an eligible overseas elector.

An application in respect of an elector to whom paragraph (2)(e) or (f) applies may be made by another person on behalf of the elector.

The certificate referred to in paragraph (2)(f) shall be lodged with an application made on the ground set out in that paragraph.

An elector may apply on the ground referred to in paragraph (2)(i) or (j) before he or she has left Australia.

The regulations may specify whether a particular situation does, or does not, constitute serving outside Australia for the purposes of paragraph (2)(i) or (j). The regulations have effect accordingly.