Melbourne Cup Day the last chance to enrol to vote in Victoria's election

As Victorians don fancy dresses and headwear this Melbourne Cup Day, the state's electoral commission will also be getting ready for a show.Mere hours after a cup winner is proclaimed, the official countdown will begin for the November state election.While it might seem Victorian politicians have been in the midst of an election campaign for months, it is only official once a writ has been issued.Tuesday, November 3, is that day.As racegoers gear up for the Melbourne Cup, the state's electoral commission will also be preparing for a big event. (AAP: James Ross)Monash University political scientist Zareh Ghazarian said voters should check their enrolment details early, before getting swept up in Melbourne Cup mania."It can be very easy to overlook, especially when there's a public holiday [and] the horse racing on as well," he said."It's really, really important to be on top of it and to act on it early."People have until 8pm on Tuesday, November 3, to enrol. (ABC News: Loretta Florance)What is an election writ?A writ is an order from the governor of Victoria, made to the state's electoral commissioner, to hold an election.The writ specifies the dates for the close of the electoral roll, the nominations deadline and election day.This year, the electoral roll will close one week earlier than in previous elections. Voters will have until 8pm on Melbourne Cup Day to enrol.If Victorians want to apply for a postal vote, the same deadline applies.Election offices across the state will remain open until 8pm on November 3 to support people updating their enrolment details.The following day, the Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC) will begin the busy task of generating copies of voter data.Candidates and parties can use this data to better understand their constituents and allow them to deliver more personalised election pitches.Who can nominate to be a candidate?Numerous changes have been made to the state's electoral law since the 2022 Victorian election.Among those changes, candidates now have fewer days to nominate — less than five.Candidate nominations open from 9am on Wednesday, November 4, and will close at midday on Monday, November 9.Election officials will be busy come November 28, as the vote count begins. (ABC Mildura: Christopher Testa )To be eligible to nominate, candidates must be:a Victorian residentan Australian citizenat least 18 years oldenrolled to vote in VictoriaCandidates will be disqualified from the election if they:are a judgehave been convicted or found guilty of an indictable offence punishable by imprisonment for life, or a term of 5 years or more, on first convictionare an undischarged bankruptare a member of the federal parliamentVictorians have until 8pm Tuesday, November 3, to enrol for postal voting privileges. (ABC News: Freya Michie)Voting for candidates in the upper house will also be different this election.Voters will now have to indicate at least five of their preferred parties, if voting above the line, instead of just one.When can I vote?Once the writ is issued, politicians will ramp up their election campaigns in a race to the finish line.Ballot boxes will remain open until 6pm Saturday, November 28. (Supplied: Victorian Electoral Commission)Dr Ghazarian said voters needed to remember that they held a lot of power."What is particularly interesting about this election, to highlight the impact and power that voters will have … is there are a number of electorates that are held by very small margins across Victoria," he said."These may potentially have hold the key to who wins government and who loses the election."There are literally very, very small numbers of votes that determined election outcomes in places last time such as Bass, Northcote, Pakenham, Mornington, and in the seat of Benambra."Early voting for the Victorian election begins on Wednesday, November 18.This election's early voting period is shorter than usual and will be open until Friday, November 27.Early voting centres will also be used on election day to make them easier to locate.Select hospitals, aged care facilities, homelessness support locations, Aboriginal communities and other specialist institutions such as prisons will host mobile voting centres for the election.The fate of next Victoria's parliament will be decided by 6pm on Saturday, November 28, when polling booths close across the state.