Everything you need to know about voting this Saturday

Australians will head to the polling booths this Saturday to have their say on who they would like to form Government to lead the country for the next three years.

Voting is compulsory for all Australian citizens aged 18 years and over who are enrolled to vote, with one person receiving one vote each.

The deadline for enrolment was Monday, April 18.

If you have not already voted early, you must head to a polling booth on Saturday. Polling places open at 8am and close at 6pm sharp, so you must vote between this time.

Polling booths will be located inside public schools, community halls and other community spaces across the country.

If you do not vote, you will be fined.

If you are in another state or territory and you have not voted early, you will need to vote at an interstate voting centre.

Here is everything you need to know about voting on Saturday.

Finding your electorate

If you are unsure of what electorate you are in, you can enter your address on the Australian Electoral Commission website.

The three electorates in the Moreton Bay Region are Petrie, Longman and Dickson.

Making your vote count

At a federal election, you are voting to elect people to represent you in the two houses of the Australian Parliament: The House of Representatives and the Senate.

You will receive two ballot papers: a green one to vote for a representative of your local area (or electoral division) in the House of Representatives, and a white one to vote for a representative of your state or territory in the Senate.

Instructions on how to vote are printed on the ballot papers. If you make a mistake or are unsure what to do, ask a polling official for help.

Every Australian can only vote once, and you will be asked if you have already voted by an official when you arrive at the polling booth.

How to vote if you test positive for COVID-19

Voters who test positive for COVID-19 this week will still have the chance to vote.

You can apply for a postal vote so you can have your say. Postal vote applications are open until 6pm on Wednesday, May 19.

Australian Electoral Commissioner Tom Rogers said that while elections are in-person community events, the AEC continues to accommodate necessary changes for the global pandemic.

“We’re accounting for the pandemic in many aspects of election delivery, including options for COVID-19 positive voters in isolation,” Mr Rogers said.

“If you test positive today, or in the next few days, you’ll be in isolation until after polls close on Saturday and will need to apply for a postal vote.

“Applications this late in the election period should only be submitted by voters who have no other voting option.

“This will primarily be people who test positive to COVID-19, haven’t voted yet and won’t be out of isolation until after Election Day.”

The impact of increased postal votes

So far, approximately 2.5 million postal vote applications have been received, up from 1.5 million at the previous federal election in 2019.

“There is a sting in the tail with so many postal vote applications this election, and that is the count,” Mr Rogers said.

“We simply cannot count postal votes on election night - we are already at the limits of our staffing capacity, and work health and safety responsibilities, with the count of election day and pre-poll votes.

“With 105,000 staff, we’re temporarily one of the nation’s largest employers, which is an undoubted resourcing challenge during COVID-19.”

Postal vote counts have been brought forward in the counting timetable from 2019 when it commenced on the Tuesday after election day. Postal vote counts will begin on the Sunday afternoon following election day this federal election.

“If it is a close result in individual seats, or overall in the House of Representatives, this level of postal votes makes an election night indication of who forms government less likely.

“In many ways the speed of the count is the biggest effect COVID will have on how this election is run.

“The election night parties haven’t seen a result in two of the past four federal elections, and COVID-19 may add 2022 to that list.”

Telephone voting

People who test positive to COVID-19 from mid-week onwards, who have not already voted, and have missed the postal vote application deadline, will be able to access a telephone vote.

Information about the telephone voting service will be available to voters who need it once postal vote applications close.

Polling booth locations

Here is a full list of polling booth locations in the Moreton Bay Region as outlined on the Australian Electoral Commission website.

If you are needing to find a polling booth outside of your suburb, click here and enter your details.

Albany Creek

• Albany Creek Guides: Folkstone Ave, Albany Creek.
• Albany Creek State High School: Corner of Old Northern Rd and Albany Forest Dr, Albany Creek.
• Albany Hills State School: 118-130 Keong Rd, Albany Creek.
• Albany Creek State School: 696 Albany Creek Rd, Albany Creek.

Arana Hills

• Hills District Community Centre: 291 Dawson Pde, Arana Hills.

Banksia Beach

• Banksia Beach State School: 133 Sunderland Dr, Banksia Beach.

Beachmere

• Beachmere Community Hall: 5 Progress Ave, Beachmere.

Bellara

• Volunteer Marine Rescue Bribie Island: 4 Marine Pde, Bellara.

Bellmere

• Bellmere State School: 176 Dobson Lane, Bellmere.

Bongaree

• Bribie Island Recreation Hall: 156 First Ave, Bongaree.

Bray Park

• Bray Park State School: Sparkes Rd, Bray Park.
• Bray Park State High School: Old North Rd, Bray Park.
• Genesis Christian College: 10 Youngs Crossing Rd, Bray Park.

Burpengary

• Burpengary State School: 35 Station Rd, Burpengary.
• Burpengary Community Hall: 101 Station Rd, Burpengary.
• Burpengary Meadows State School: 153-187 Rowley Rd, Burpengary.
• Burpengary State Secondary College: Pitt Rd, Burpengary.

Burpengary East

• Burpengary East Community and Cultural Complex: Corner of Maitland St and Old Bay Rd, Burpengary East.

Caboolture

• Pumicestone State School: 75 Cottrill Rd, Caboolture.
• Caboolture State High School: 1-61 Lee St, Caboolture.
• Caboolture Memorial Hall: 61-65 King St, Caboolture.
• Tullawong State School: 60-94 Smiths Rd, Caboolture.

Clontarf

• Clontarf Beach State High School: Corner of Elizabeth Ave and King St, Clontarf.
• Clontarf Beach State School: 91 Elizabeth Ave, Clontarf.

Closeburn

• Cedar Creek Public Hall: 2 Andrew Rd, Closeburn.

Dakabin

• Dakabin State High School: 255-269 Marsden Rd, Dakabin.

Dayboro

• Dayboro State School: 58 McKenzie St, Dayboro.

Deception Bay

• Deception Bay North State School: 33-49 Old Bay Rd, Deception Bay.
• Deception Bay Community Hall: 2 Raymond Tce, Deception Bay.
• Moreton Downs State School: 101 Lipscombe Rd, Deception Bay.
• Deception Bay State High School: Government St, Deception Bay.

Donnybrook

• Donnybrook Community Hall: 26 Edith St, Donnybrook.

Eatons Hill

• Eatons Hill State School: Apex Gr, Eatons Hill.
• South Pine Community Church: 12 Eatons Crossing Rd, Eatons Hill.

Elimbah

• Elimbah State School: 10-20 School Rd, Elimbah.

Everton Hills

• Prince of Peace Lutheran College (Senior Campus): 25 Henderson Rd, Everton Hills.

Ferny Hills

• Patricks Road State School: 238-256 Patricks Rd, Ferny Hills.
• Ferny Hills State School: Ferny Way, Ferny Hills.

Griffin

• Griffin State School: 19 Wesley Rd, Griffin.

Kallangur

• Kallangur State School: Old Gympie Rd, Kallangur.
• Kruger Hall: 25 Ann St, Kallangur.
• Kallangur Community Centre: 1480 Anzac Ave, Kallangur.

Kippa-Ring

• Hercules Road State School: Hercules Rd, Kippa-Ring.
• Kippa-Ring State School: Korsch St, Kippa-Ring.

Lawnton

• Lawnton State School: 44-60 Todds Rd, Lawnton.

Mango Hill

• Mango Hill State School: 39 Bonnet Pde, Mango Hill.

Margate

• Humpybong State School: Ernest St, Margate.

Morayfield

• Minimbah State School: Corner of Minimbah Dr and Walkers Rd, Morayfield.
• Morayfield State High School: 70-100 Visentin Rd, Morayfield.
• Morayfield East State School: 107 Graham Rd, Morayfield.

Mount Mee

• Mount Mee Public Hall: 1352 Mt Mee Rd, Mount Mee.

Mount Nebo

• Mount Nebo State School: 1918 Mt Nebo Rd, Mount Nebo.

Murrumba Downs

• Undurba State School: 49-57 Ogg Rd, Murrumba Downs.
• Living Faith Lutheran Primary School: 50 Brays Rd, Murrumba Downs.

Narangba

• Narangba Valley State School: 59-85 Creekside Dr, Narangba.
• Jinibara State School: 50 Cottontree Dr, Narangba.
• Narangba State School: Knights Rd, Narangba.

Ningi

• Ningi Community Hall: 1320 Bribie Island Rd, Ningi.

North Lakes

• Bounty Boulevard State School: 190 Bounty Blvd, North Lakes.
• 190 Bounty Blvd, North Lakes: Joyner Crct, North Lakes.
• North Lakes State College 10-12: 1 The Corso, North Lakes.

Petrie

• Petrie School of Arts Hall: 1014 Anzac Ave, Petrie.
• Kurwongbah State School: 2-16 Eacham St, Petrie.

Redcliffe

• Redcliffe State High School: Corner of Oxley Ave and Klinger Rd, Redcliffe.
• Redcliffe Senior Citizens Centre: 401 Oxley Ave, Redcliffe.

Rothwell

• Rothwell Hall: McKillop Park, 176 Morris Rd, Rothwell.

Samford Village

• Samford Community Centre: 41 School Rd, Samford Village.
• Samford Farmers Hall: 30 Main St, Samford Village.

Sandstone Point

• Sandstone Point Community and Sports Complex: 202 Bestmann Rd E, Sandstone Point.

Scarborough

• Redcliffe First Settlement Lodge 287: 72 Seaville Ave, Scarborough.
• Scarborough State School: Garsden St, Scarborough.

Strathpine

• Pine Rivers State High School: 535 Gympie Rd, Strathpine.
• Strathpine West State School: 16-20 Garbala Dr, Strathpine.

Toorbul

• Toorbul Community Hall: 158 Esplanade, Toorbul.

Upper Caboolture

• Farmers Assembly Hall: 704 Caboolture River Rd, Upper Caboolture.

Wamuran

• Wamuran Community Hall: 1046-1052 D'Aguilar Hwy, Wamuran.

Warner

• Pendicup Community Centre: 365 Samsonvale Rd, Warner.

Woodford

• Woodford P-10 State School: 171 Archer St, Woodford.

Woody Point

• Woody Point Memorial Hall: Corner of Oxley Ave and Hornibrook Esp, Woody Point.
• Holy Cross Parish Hall: Corner of Victoria Ave and Collins St, Woody Point.