Firstly, votes must be cast to elect a member to represent the electorate in the House of Representatives.

For the electorates of Hume and Whitlam, there are six candidates for each that can be chosen to represent each electorate.

To make a formal vote, a voter needs to number every box with a series of consecutive numbers according to their preference.

Write a number '1' in the box beside the candidate who is your first choice, then write a number '2' next to the candidate who is your second choice, and so on until every box has been filled with a number.

Secondly, voters must cast a vote to elect senators to represent their state or territory in the Senate.

Each state has 12 senators and the Australian Capital Territory and Northern Territory each have two senators.

Voting rules for the Senate have changed, and will be voted for on the white ballot paper.

Voters need to either number at least six boxes above the line for the parties or groups of their choice, or number at least 12 boxes below the line for individual candidates of their choice.

For more information on how to vote, visit http://www.aec.gov.au/Voting/How_to_Vote/