Australian Federal Election 2010
The Australian federal election will be held on Saturday 21 August 2010.
If you are overseas at the time of the election it is not compulsory to vote in the federal election. Should you decide not to vote, you should inform the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) by completing the overseas notification form available at www.aec.gov.au.
If, however, you would like to vote, you can do so by either applying for a postal vote, or lodging a pre-poll vote in person at the Australian High Commission. To do so you will need to know the Australian address at which you are currently enrolled in order to be issued with the correct ballot papers for your electorate. You can check these details at www.aec.gov.au/check or by calling +61 2 6271 4411.
Eligible Australian citizens who wish to cast their vote at the Australian High Commission, Nicosia, (through a pre-poll vote) will be able to do so during normal hours of business from Monday 9 August to Friday 20 August 2010 inclusive. The High Commission counter is located at Level 2, 4 Annis Komninis Street, Nicosia, and is open to the public at the following times:
Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 12:30 pm.
Please note that you will not be able to cast your vote on polling day. You should also note that the High Commission will be closed on Monday 16 August 2010 to observe a public holiday.
Should you wish to apply for a postal vote, you must go to www.aec.gov.au and complete a “Postal Vote Application” form. Postal vote applications are also available from the Australian High Commission, Nicosia. To ensure your postal vote is valid and will be accepted, your correctly completed “Postal Vote Application” must be received by the High Commission no later than 1:00 pm on Thursday 19 August 2010. Your ballot papers will then be sent to you to complete and return to the High Commission. Please note that if you are intending to apply for a postal vote you should do so as soon as possible so we can provide your ballot papers in time.
If you are unable to attend an overseas voting centre or complete a postal vote you should notify the AEC by sending an e-mail message to [email protected].
Further information on the Australian federal election is available from the AEC at www.aec.gov.au, by calling +61 2 6271 4411, or by sending an e-mail message to [email protected]. You can also contact the Australian High Commission by telephoning +357 2275 3001 for further assistance.