Every vote matters – but only if it counts. The Victorian Electoral Commission’s (VEC) own analysis of the 2022 State Election reveals a striking fact: 119,717 Victorians attempted to cast a valid vote but their vote did not count because of errors on their ballot paper. These weren’t protest voters. They weren’t disengaged from democracy. They were people who wanted their voice heard but, through numbering mistakes or misunderstanding the voting system, their ballot was declared informal. At the same time, the VEC found that a further 87,376 Victorians deliberately cast an informal vote, often writing “None of the above” or expressing dissatisfaction with politicians or government via drawing cartoons or other forms of ballot graffiti.

Together, more than 207,000 Victorians had no formal say in who governed the state.The 2026 election could be decided by just 33,000 voters.

Analysis of Victoria’s most marginal seats by BetterGovernmentVictoria.org shows that only around 33,000 voters changing their vote at the next election would be enough to change the government. That means the number of Victorians whose vote unintentionally didn’t count in 2022 was more than three times the number needed to determine who forms government after the 2026 election.

It is a powerful reminder that elections are often decided by remarkably small numbers of voters.

Want change? Make sure your vote counts.Whether you support Labor, Liberal, Nationals, One Nation, the Greens, independents or another party, there is one simple truth:
If you want to change the government, your vote must count. If your ballot paper is declared informal, you lose your opportunity to influence the result.

The VEC’s analysis found that many informal votes resulted from simple errors, including:

• Numbering only one candidate.
• Numbering candidates incorrectly.
• Leaving required preferences blank.
• Using ticks or crosses instead of numbers.

These mistakes are entirely avoidable.

Get and Follow the How-to-Vote card for who you want to support. Every political party and candidate provides a How-to-Vote for them card showing exactly how they recommend completing the ballot paper.

If you have decided which party or candidate you want to support to be your local politician or to get your preferred government into power , following their How-to-Vote card is the best way to ensure your vote is formal and counts toward the election result.

Regardless of which party you support, the most important thing is to complete your ballot correctly.

Democracy works best when every vote counts.

The Victorian Electoral Commission deserves credit for continuing to improve voter education and reducing accidental informality despite increasingly complex ballot papers. Their research also identified a clear relationship between larger candidate fields and higher informal voting rates, highlighting the growing challenge faced by voters.

As Victorians prepare for the 2026 election, one message should be heard by every voter:

If you want to keep the current government, make your vote count.

If you want to change the government, make your vote count.

In an election likely to be decided by only a few thousand votes, there is simply too much at stake to let your vote be one that doesn’t count.