About Donkey Vote
A clearer way to understand your vote.
Donkey Vote is an independent Australian voting guide. We bring issues, party policies and source links together so you can understand the choices and make your own decision.
Why it exists
Start with understanding.
Election information is spread across party websites, official records and campaign announcements. It can be hard to see what a promise means, who is responsible and how the choices differ.
This guide gives you a place to start. Read about an issue, explore a party or build a comparison around the things you want to understand. You do not need to know all the political language first.
The current edition covers Victoria 2026. It is a starting point for research, not a complete record of every party, candidate or policy.
Behind the name
Why the donkey?
The name is a wink at a familiar Australian voting term. The aim is to help you understand the choices, not tell you which party to pick.
A donkey vote can still count
A donkey vote follows the order candidates appear on the ballot, usually numbering from top to bottom, or in reverse. If it meets the ballot's numbering rules, it is a formal vote and counts. It is not the same as leaving your ballot blank.
You cannot tell someone's intentions from that pattern alone. The printed order might genuinely match their preferences.
Your numbers show your ranked choices. If your first-choice candidate cannot win, your vote can count for a later preference.
An informal vote is different
An informal ballot does not meet the rules for a valid vote, so it does not count towards electing a candidate. A blank ballot is one example; missing or repeated numbers can also make a ballot informal.
An informed choice is about understanding your options, not a separate ballot category. That is what this guide is here to help with.
Read the VEC explanation of preferences, formal and donkey votes. Its Upper House section still describes the old rules. For 2026, use the VEC's updated Upper House instructions or our voting guide.
More about donkey votes
These background articles explain the term. Older federal examples are not current Victorian ballot instructions.
And yes, there is a literal donkey in the history: see the photo from the 1933 Western Australian secession referendum.
How the guide works
Read the summary. Check the source.
Know who is responsible
We explain what Victoria controls and where federal or local government also has a role. A state election promise is not a promise about everything.
See what supports it
We link summaries to their sources and show review status. A party source tells you what that party says; it does not prove a promise will work.
Make your own comparison
You choose the issues and parties. There is no party ranking or match score. The topic chooser simply helps you find something to read.
What to keep in mind
The gaps matter too.
A missing summary means we have not found and checked a current source for that issue. It does not mean a party has no policy or opposes it.
Policies can change. A source check is not the same as an editorial review, and a standing party policy is not always a new election commitment. Check the dates and status alongside the source.
Donkey Vote is not an electoral authority or a live news service. For enrolment, ballot instructions and voting arrangements, follow the official links on our voting information page.
Get in touch
Questions, corrections or feedback?
Spotted something we should check? Include the page link and, if you have one, a source we can read.