Your Townsville Elections Guide

Everything you need to know about voting in Townsville -- from federal electorates to council elections. The Daily Townsville brings you independent electoral coverage.

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Coming up

Federal

Next federal election

Next federal election due by May 2028. Federal Parliament's term expires no later than 17 May 2028.

State

Queensland State Election

Queensland State Election, October 2028.

Local

Local council elections

Local council elections in Townsville -- check with Electoral Commission Queensland at ecq.qld.gov.au.

Townsville's Federal Electorates

Electorate of Herbert

Held by Labor

View electorate

Electorate of Kennedy

Held by KAP/Independent

View electorate

Source: Australian Electoral Commission. Electorate boundaries and holders subject to redistribution. Always verify with the AEC at aec.gov.au

QLD State Elections

The Queensland Legislative Assembly is the relevant state body. The next election is the Queensland State Election, October 2028.

How to enrol

Visit the Electoral Commission Queensland to check your enrolment and update your details.

ecq.qld.gov.au

How preferences work in QLD

Queensland uses a compulsory preferential voting system. Voters must number every candidate on the ballot paper in order of preference for their vote to be valid.

Where to vote

On election day, check your local polling booth at the Electoral Commission Queensland website.

Find your booth

Electoral Education

How voting works

Australia uses a preferential voting system. Voters rank candidates in order of preference. If no candidate wins more than 50% of first-preference votes, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated and their preferences are distributed. This continues until one candidate has a majority.

Voting is compulsory for Australian citizens aged 18 and over. You must be enrolled to vote, and you must number every box on the ballot paper for your vote to count.

Enrolment deadlines

You must be enrolled to vote. Enrolment closes 7 days before federal elections and varies for state elections. Check ecq.qld.gov.au for QLD deadlines.

Candidate information

Candidate information for upcoming elections is published by the AEC and Electoral Commission Queensland. The Daily Townsville will publish local candidate profiles ahead of each election.

Independent. Impartial. Informed.

When Townsville goes to the polls, The Daily Townsville provides independent coverage free from party affiliation. We interview candidates from all sides, analyse policy, and report the facts. Subscribe to our newsletter for election-day updates.

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Voter resources

Electoral information is indicative only. Election dates and candidate lists may change. Always check official sources: aec.gov.au for federal, ecq.qld.gov.au for state, and your local council website for municipal elections.