Most people vote throughout their lives – for school captains, club presidents and the like. State general elections, in which we choose our political representatives, are among the most important elections we are involved in.

In order to vote your name must be on the electoral roll. To see if your name is on the electoral roll and that your details are correct, see Check your enrolment.

For the purposes of State government, Queensland is divided into 89 distinct areas or electoral districts (also called electorates, constituencies or seats). Each district is represented by a single Member of Parliament (MP). A Queensland general election is really 89 separate district elections. The results of these elections are added together and the majority group or party forms government.

For more details about your electoral district, visit our district profiles.

If you can’t vote at your nearest polling booth on polling day, special arrangements can be made for you to cast your vote. For more information, visit the special voting section of our site.

State by-elections

Seats can become vacant during the life of any Parliament, most often due to the resignation of a sitting Member. Vacancies may disturb the balance of power within Parliament, so they cannot be left unfilled.

Like most democracies using single-member electorates, vacancies for the Queensland Parliament are filled at by-elections, which are held in individual districts between general elections.

View the Electoral Act 1992 and the Electoral Regulation 2002 for more information on the rules governing a State general election or by-election.