The Australia-first program removing a key stress for voters

Victoria's upcoming election will be the first to offer dedicated low-sensory polling locations, at which neurodivergent voters and those with sensory needs can cast their ballots in a low-stimulus, quiet environment.

Following successful trials at by-elections in Warrandyte, Prahran, Werribee and Nepean, the Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC) is rolling out its low-sensory voting centre program statewide ahead of the Victorian election on 28 November.

One low-sensory voting site will open in each of the state's 88 lower-house districts on Tuesday 17 November, a day before other early-voting centres.

Operating from 10 am to 4 pm and staffed by trained mobile voting teams, the centres will focus on accessibility and maintaining a low-stimulus environment.

While the VEC is yet to announce the specific locations of the sites, a video tour of one of the centres published online shows a carpeted room with three standing poll booths and one seated booth at a table.

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The booths are inside a ramp-accessible municipal building in a quiet Victorian suburb, and the VEC has said venues would be selected to minimise noise and other sensory stimulation.

Low-sensory voting centres are intended to provide a more inclusive environment for neurodivergent voters and those responsible for caring for people with sensory needs.

The VEC said continued investment in and expansion of the program was recommended after it received positive feedback from trials at previous Victorian by-elections.

At the Nepean by-election in May this year, the low-sensory centre was attended by 28 people, representing 0.066 per cent of the district's voters.

In Werribee in 2025, 54 people, or 0.12 per cent of the electorate's voters, attended the centre. Prahran's 2025 by-election saw 21 people, or 0.064 per cent of the electorate's voters, make use of the facility.

The VEC says research and stakeholder engagement consistently showed support for dedicated low-sensory voting options for neurodivergent Victorians and people with sensory sensitivities.

The first trial was held at the 2023 Warrandyte by-election, which saw 321 low-sensory voters attend, roughly equivalent to 0.79 per cent of turnout for that contest.

Unlike later trials, the Warrandyte trial integrated low-sensory voting into an existing early-voting centre rather than using a dedicated standalone venue.