2016 federal election Key facts and figures

Updated: 11 August 2016

Enrolment

15 676 659

Australians are enrolled to vote for the 2016 federal election.

This compares to 14 712 799 in 2013

95%

Participation rate

This compare to 92 per cent in 2013.

816 000

Estimated eligible Australians aren’t enrolled

This compares to an estimated 1.22 million in 2013.

86.7%

Participation rate for 18-24 year olds

254 432

Estimated 18-24 year olds aren't enrolled

This compares to an estimated 400 000 in 2013

  • Within the broader youth category, the participation of 18 year olds has risen from around 50 per cent in 2013 to over 70 per cent in 2016.

Parties

57

Parties are registered for the 2016 federal election.

This compares to 54 in 2013.

33

Parties registered a logo for the 2016 federal election.

Candidates

1 625

Candidates nominated for the 2016 federal election.

This compares to 1,717 in 2013.

994

Nominated for the House of Representatives

This compares to 1 188 in 2013.

631

Nominated for the Senate

This compares to 529 in 2013.

540

Female candidates

This compares to 470 female candidates in 2013.

1 084

Male candidates

This compares to 1 247 male candidates in 2013.

Voting arrangements

7 000+

Polling places operating from 8am to 6pm on election day, Saturday 2 July.

600+

Early voting centres will be operating in the weeks leading up to election day.

Australia House in London took over 15 000 votes for the 2013 federal election.

41

Remote mobile voting teams will visit more than 400 remote locations across Australia by land air and sea.

27

Languages will be available explaining how to vote, in every polling place.

Election resources

75 000+

Polling officials employed

Positions filled to service early voting centres, polling places on election day and for counting votes after the election

45 million+

Ballot papers have been produced for the 2016 federal election.

60 000+

Ballot boxes have been produced.

120 000+

Voting screens have been produced.

13 000+

Recycling bins have been produced.

100 000+

Pencils required.

140 km+

String required.

  • Approximately 10 million households will receive the AEC's publication, Your official guide to the 2016 federal election.
  • Approximately 500 election call centre operators have been trained to answer enquiries during the election period.
    • The election call centre operates from 8am to 8pm local time, 7 days a week.
    • Almost 460,000 calls have been received for the 2016 federal election so far
    • This compares to 550,000 calls received in 2013.
  • The election funding rate for candidates, if they achieve at least 4 per cent of the formal first preference vote, is 262.784 cents per vote.

Voting

  • The rate of early voting traditionally increases towards election day.
  • Daily statistics for the number of early votes being cast.
  • Over 3.7 million Australians (27 per cent) voted early (pre-poll, postal and mobile) for the 2013 federal election.
    • Over 1.3 million postal vote applications were received for the 2013 federal election.
    • In the 2007 and 2010 federal elections, the rate of early voting was 15 per cent and 18 per cent respectively.
  • 2 832 votes were cast via the AEC's telephone voting solution for people who are blind or have low vision.

Electorate facts

32 sq km

Geographically, Grayndler in NSW is the smallest electorate in Australia.

1 629 858 sq km

Geographically, Durack in WA is the largest electorate in Australia.

AEC advertising campaign

  • The AEC's advertising campaign includes television, radio, press, cinema, outdoor digital and social advertising.
    • Campaign messages include enrolment, early voting and how to complete your ballot papers correctly.

Culturally and linguistically diverse

  • A range of the advertising materials (including television, press and digital) are translated into 27 languages and 13 Indigenous languages.
    • The AEC's official guide to the 2016 federal election is translated into 27 languages, and is available in braille, large print and audio versions.
    • A how-to-vote guide with information in 27 different languages is available on the AEC website and will be on hand at all polling places.