This resource is here to help you make your voice heard this state election. We won’t tell you what to say – that’s for you to decide – but we’ll help you feel ready and supported to share what matters to you with the people who want to represent you for the next four years.
We have developed this information as part of our role in representing the interests of all Victorians aged 50 and over and helping to make your voices heard by decision-makers at all levels.
Your voice counts
The state election is a unique opportunity to influence change. At no other time are political parties and candidates so eager to hear and be seen to respond to community views.
Too often, older people are left out of the conversation when candidates go looking for voters’ views and that means the issues that matter most to you can get overlooked. You have decades of experience and a real stake in what happens next and that’s worth being heard.
By getting involved locally, you can put an issue on a candidate’s radar, show how it affects real older people, and give the campaign a reason to respond. If you have an issue to raise, the chances are that it affects others too. Everyone who speaks up adds to momentum for action.
We are also actively involved at a statewide level in influencing parties to address ageing issues. You can find information on the priority topics and initiatives we are advocating in our state election platform, “Preparing Victoria for an ageing future”.
Opportunities to engage
Before you think about engagement:
- Know your electorate, the area you vote in. Your lower-house district elects one MP; your upper-house region elects five MPs. If you’re unsure, check the Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC) electorate map.
- Find out who is standing for election. Candidates will promote themselves through posters and pamphlets. You can also check party websites, and the VEC will publish an official list after 9 November.
The election is on Saturday, 28 November 2026, although many people will cast an early vote up to 10 days beforehand. Candidates will start engaging with communities as soon as they are confirmed, but the most intensive period will be from late October onwards.
There are many ways to engage a local candidate. These include:
- Calling a campaign office.
- Sending an email or letter.
- Speaking to a door-knocker (candidate, campaign staff, or volunteers).
- Attending a local community forum.
- Stopping at a pop-up stall or street “meet and greet” opportunity.
Be aware that public events and written correspondence may be recorded or shared. Only disclose what you are comfortable making public and if your message involves another person, remove identifying details or seek their permission prior.
How to choose and present your issues
To make the most of your engagement, try to focus on issues directly linked to Victorian Government responsibilities. These include hospitals and community services, public health, public transport, major roads, housing, schools, the arts, crime and policing, urban planning and environment, energy concessions, and emergency management.
The issues you raise may be ones that affect people of all ages but it’s great if you can emphasise the impact on older people, starting with yourself, your family, and friends.
Whatever your starting point, try and make your request concrete and achievable. The most useful message is usually short, specific, and easy to repeat. Encouraging and supporting others to raise their voices can help demonstrate that an issue is shared across the community. Think about ways you might share your message to candidates and generate wider engagement. This could be through social media or an organised group.
Even if you don’t have specific concerns to raise, you might want to probe a candidates’ general approach to the older community by asking questions such as:
- Which of your key commitments address the concerns of older people in your electorate?
- What services and supports targeted to older people’s needs would you actively pursue?
- Has your campaign heard from a diverse range of older community members?
Specific questions you might like to raise on issues affecting older Victorians could include:
- How would your health policies improve access to local healthcare for older people, including dental and mental health?
- Do you have proposals to strengthen aged care and disability supports for older people, within or outside of the NDIS and My Aged Care?
- What initiatives are you proposing that would help older Victorians on pensions and fixed incomes cope with cost-of-living pressures?
- Do you support the provision of more public and community housing targeted to older people, and initiatives to provide more affordable and secure private rental options that suit older people?
- Will you commit to maintaining a dedicated Minister for Senior Victorians and how will this function be accountable to the public?
Major issues impacting older Victorians
In considering issues to raise, you might want to refer to concerns that many older people have voiced to us.
Our recent community pulse survey earlier in 2026 highlighted a range of prominent concerns including:
- 19% say they are struggling with the cost of living and 35% report experiencing financial stress in the previous 12 months;
- 48% of those needing aged or disability care found access difficult;
- 21% had been or know someone who has been stuck in hospital due to lack of follow up services;
- 12% report feeling isolated from others frequently or always;
- 33% have experienced age discrimination over the past year.
Our election platform identifies concrete actions a future Victorian Government could take to achieve:
- A stronger voice and representation for older people in Victoria, including more regular community engagement with government.
- More secure and affordable homes for older Victorians, including more targeted social housing availability.
- Better health, wellbeing and resilience, including more coordinated community
care and response to climate and emergencies. - Enhanced protection against abuse and discrimination, including expanded elder abuse prevention and support services.
- Increased economic participation and financial security, including more financial counselling and addressing ageism in the workplace.
Information on ageing issues in Victoria
You don’t need statistics or policy expertise to raise an issue with a candidate – your own experience is valuable in and of itself. However, reliable information can help you speak to an issue more convincingly.
The resources below can help you define your issue, develop a clear request, or add broader evidence to your personal experience.
- Our 2026 state election platform: Our pitch to parties and candidates includes facts, issues, and proposed initiatives across diverse issues of concern to older Victorians.
- State of Ageing in Victoria: Community Pulse Survey 2026: Provides an up-to-date insight into the opportunities and challenges Victorians are facing, as they age within a Victorian context.
- Our policy advocacy platform: Provides easy access to policy briefings, statements, and submissions on topics including age discrimination, housing,
health, elder abuse, disability supports, cost of living, and climate resilience.
Election and voting support
Every conversation with a candidate adds to a bigger picture of what older Victorian’s need.
Engaging candidates is one way to participate in the election, but casting your vote is crucial. If you need information about how, when, or where to vote, or support to make voting more accessible, the VEC provides official election information and assistance.
We have also developed a brief guide to ways in which you can cast your vote, including a summary of changes and additional supports that are being put in place for 2026.
Furthermore, a commitment tracker on party promises that are likely to impact older Victorians will be developed and released by COTA Victoria in mid-October and updated by 18 November. This will be made available on the COTA Victoria website.
The resources below may be particularly useful if you need alternative voting arrangements, including information in plain English or a language other than English.
- Voting options and accessibility website or phone 131 832: For advice on voting options including postal, early, telephone, low-sensory, and mobile voting.
- Electoral boundaries for state districts and regions: Search by name or view maps to check boundaries for upper and lower house seats.
- Candidates and parties: Provides ways to check election candidate names and party affiliations (note that complete candidate lists will be available after 9 November).
Thank you for taking the time to make your voice heard.