Aussie-expats: How to Vote

First you need to register as an overseas elector by filling out this form. To be eligible for this you must already be on the electoral roll, and you must have been out of Australia for less than three years. You can check exactly where you are enrolled here.

Fill that in, print it off, and fax it to one of the numbers provided on the form. When the election is announced (you can sign up for email updates here) the AEC Website will provide a list of overseas polling centres. If you are not close to one, you can apply for a postal vote; this will also be available once the election is announced.

You may also wish to read the handy FAQ.

I rang the Ottawan High Commission to ask if they would be taking votes on the day - the conversation went like this:

Me: Will you guys be taking votes on election day?
Them: *Ralph Wiggum voice* Whats an election?

They also emailed me a link they promised would contain all the information I needed, which turned out to be a non-existent page on the Australian Heritage Council's website. So yeah, Ottawa is obviously where they send the YOUNG UP 'N COMERS IN THE AUSTRALIAN DIPLOMATIC CORPS, not.

Anyway, I obviously wouldn't want to influence your vote, but for fucks sake lets get that bastard out of there. Howard makes me ashamed to be an Australian.

"Education is the pathway to the future, our country’s future, and our kids’ future. It’s the key to being globally competitive. I have a goal for us to be the best educated country with the best trained workforce in the world, but Australia is the only modern economy in the world where government funding for our universities has been cut. Australia must now plan for an education revolution boosting early childhood, schools, tech colleges, universities – and insisting on higher standards so that Australia can take on the world through the best trained people, not by cutting wages and conditions." - Kevin Rudd

Not sure I like the grammar there Ruddy, but I like the message.