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Elected representatives, political candidates and government departments connect with people all over the country, from densely populated capital cities to the most remote regions. 

Research shows around 58 per cent of Australians prefer to receive general information about an election and 60 per cent prefer to receive information about how to vote in an upcoming election via their mailbox.1

 

Mail services

Choose the right mailing solution for your communications strategy, whether you're running a federal, state or local campaign. Find out how to use each mailing option, from targeting specific locations to preparing your articles for lodgement.

If you need help with managing your mailouts, you can engage one of our Bulk Mail Partners.

Unaddressed Mail

Unaddressed Mail2 is a low-cost option for the bulk delivery of flyers, letters and postcards, and is suitable for MPs or candidates wanting to reach their constituents based on electorate or locality. Unaddressed Mail is delivered by postal rounds that best fit the delivery criteria.

If you’re new to letterbox advertising our letterbox advertising guide (PDF 2.18MB) can help get you started.

Campaigns can be booked directly with our Unaddressed Mail Customer Services team by submitting a booking form (PDF 108kB). Frequent users of the Unaddressed Mail service can register to book online.

Read our guides to help you or your printer/mailhouse book campaigns online. 

You can also access Campaign Targeter, our online mapping tool, to help you plan and map your own campaigns.

Read our guides to help you or your printer map campaigns in Campaign Targeter.

Delivery options

Standard - Articles delivered within 15 business days of booking.

Premium - Articles delivered within 7 business days of booking.

First Campaign Week (for federal elections only).

The most cost-effective size is:

  • maximum size Small (for example DL flyer)
  • dimensions 130 x 240mm
  • thickness 5mm
  • maximum weight 50g.

Large sizes and other weights are also available.

Areas that can be targeted include:

  • federal electorates
  • state electorates
  • local government areas (LGAs)
  • suburbs
  • postcodes
  • geographic areas by postal round using Campaign Targeter.

Bookings

All customers need to complete a booking form (PDF 108kB).

Standard bookings:
  • Book at least 10 business days before the delivery week. Bookings close Mondays at 5pm3.
  • Send completed form to ums@auspost.com.au.
Premium bookings:
  • Book at least three business days before the delivery week. Bookings close Wednesdays at 5pm.
  • Send completed form to premiumums@auspost.com.au

Frequent senders of Unaddressed Mail can book directly through UM Online. You can book instantly and keep track of your bookings. You’ll need to register first by sending a completed form to ums@auspost.com.au.

Pricing

Contact your Account Manager for government and candidate contract rates.

Preparing your mail
  • Bundle your flyers following the instructions in the 'Unaddressed Mail preparation advice' document provided by the Unaddressed Mail (UM) team with your booking confirmation.
  • Order mail trays from your lodgement facility (allow three days for delivery).
  • The UM team will email labels to you or if you are booking using UM Online, you can download your own labels.
Lodging your mail
Standard bookings

Lodge articles before midday:

  • for other state delivery – seven business days prior to the Monday of the nominated delivery week.
  • for same state delivery – five business days prior to the Monday of the nominated delivery week.

Delivery is between Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays.

Premium bookings

Lodge articles before midday on the business day before the nominated delivery week, usually a Friday.

Delivery is between Monday and Friday, excluding public holidays.

Premium bookings may be accepted where the nominated lodgement or delivery week includes a public holiday – additional fees and charges apply, please refer to the website.

Paperwork to include:

  • Booking Confirmation Advice
  • Unaddressed Mail Preparation Advice
  • Unaddressed Mail Booking Form
  • A mail sample (unsealed if enveloped)
Additional information

Have questions? Contact your Account Manager or call Unaddressed Mail Customer Services on 1300 223 571.

Addressed mail

Mail is a trusted and inclusive communication channel. Use addressed mail and focus your strategy based on constituent behaviours and your own data.

Here are our most popular mail services to use during an election or a referendum. View other mailing options including bulk mail options. 

Electoral candidates and political parties can save on postage when sending bulk volumes of addressed promotional mail up to eight weeks prior to a government election or referendum, with the option for Priority delivery. 

Articles must be promotional in nature. The mail piece needs to provide political or campaign information, or member, party or policy information, intended to win favour of constituents. The information can include how to vote information or polling locations when it is incorporated within the letter or pre-populated with candidate selection, e.g. Vote 1 Mary Smith. 
 

For Small articles only:

  • minimum size 88 x 138mm
  • maximum size 130 x 240mm
  • thickness 5mm
  • maximum weight 125g.

For large sizes and other weights, use Promo Post (conditions apply).

Sending volume

Minimum of 4,000 barcoded and sorted articles per lodgement.

Delivery Options

Regular – our standard option, delivered within 3-7 business days.

Priority – our faster delivery option, delivered up to 2-3 days faster.

Getting started
  • Apply for PreSort Letters service (PDF 61kB).
  • Take your completed application form to the mail centre or business centre where you’ll make your lodgements.
Preparing your mail
  • Letters need to have a barcode printed above the address for our sorting machines to read.
  • You can organise barcoding through a mail house or do it yourself in-house. You can buy software from these providers.
  • Learn how to barcode your mail.
  • Order mail trays from your lodgement facility (allow three days).
  • Sort letters in trays by postcode using the Barcode Sort Plan (BSP).
  • Tray labels need to correspond with the BSP. Order these from your lodgement facility and allow two weeks for delivery.

Detailed instructions can be found in the PreSort Letters service guide (PDF 1.62MB).

Lodging your mail

Lodge on any business day before 4pm.

For Priority lodgements greater than 100,000 articles, advise your Account Manager at least three business days prior to lodgement to ensure timely delivery.

Paperwork to include:

Pricing

See our Fact Sheet (PDF 114kB) for pricing information.

Additional information

Have questions? Speak with your Account Manager. You can also email us at electionpromopost@auspost.com.au or call 13 11 18.

Deliver machine addressed mail items which are barcoded and sorted.

The most cost-effective size is:

  • maximum size Small (e.g. DL flyer)
  • dimensions 130 x 240mm
  • thickness 5mm
  • maximum weight 125g.

Larger sizes and other weights are also available.

Sending volume

Minimum of 300 machine addressed, barcoded and sorted items per lodgement.

Delivery options

Regular – our standard option, delivered within 3-7 business days.

Priority – our faster delivery option, delivered up to 2-3 days faster.

Preparing your mail
  • Letters need to have a barcode printed above the address for our sorting machines to read.
  • You can organise barcoding through a mail house or do it yourself in-house. You can buy software from these providers.
  • Order mail trays from your lodgement facility (allow three days).
  • Sort letters in trays by postcode using the Barcode Sort Plan (BSP).
  • Tray labels need to correspond with the BSP. Order these from your lodgement facility and allow two weeks for delivery.

Detailed instructions can be found in the PreSort Letters Service guide (PDF 1.5MB) or learn more about the barcoding process.

Lodging your mail

Lodge on any business day before 4pm at your approved lodgement facility (as nominated when you applied to use the service).

Include a copy of the PreSort Lodgement document (PDF 93kB).

Pricing

See our PreSort Letters page for pricing information.

Make it easy for your constituents to register postal vote intentions, share their preferences, and provide you with valuable information.
 

The most cost-effective size is:

  • maximum size DL
  • dimensions 130 x 240mm
  • thickness 5mm
  • maximum weight 125g.

Large sizes and other weights are also available.

Delivery options

Regular – our standard option, delivered within 3-7 business days.

Priority – our faster delivery option, delivered up to 2-3 days faster.

Getting started
Preparing your mail

A barcoded Reply Paid address is provided to you for printing on return envelopes and postcards. We provide the basic artwork, in PDF format, for small and large letters. Most Reply Paid users include a pre-printed Reply Paid envelope or postcard in their outbound mail pack.

Find out more about designing and printing Reply Paid mail (PDF 622kB).

Pricing
  • See our Reply Paid page for pricing information.
  • Annual fee applies.
  • Delivery costs are only billed when a letter is returned to you.
Additional information

Have questions? Contact us by email at replypaid@auspost.com.au.

Additional services

If you’re a Member of Parliament, a PO Box may already be set up for your office location. Check with the Department of Finance to see if this applies.

Available sizes:

  • Small
  • Medium
  • Large
  • Jumbo
  • Locked Bag

Sizes available will depend on your location.

How to arrange
  • Complete an application form (PDF 3.5MB) and email to your Account Manager.
  • Once a PO Box is set up, it can be linked to your Reply Paid product. Email your PO Box details to the Reply Paid team to link these two products.
Pricing

See our PO Boxes page to learn more about pricing.

Having an Australia Post account can make it quicker and easier to arrange your mailing campaigns.

Getting started

Complete the following documents:

Send completed forms to NewCreditAccount@auspost.com.au and copy in your Account Manager (if known).

Invoicing
  • Invoices will be sent to your email address in the first week of every month.
  • All services can be billed to your account once the account is finalised.

Note that a Business Account may also be referred to as a:

  • Billing Account
  • Credit Account
  • Customer number or
  • Account number

Have questions? Contact your Account Manager.

Please Note: You must ensure that all material to be delivered by Australia Post complies with applicable laws and regulations and the Terms and Conditions (PDF 1.04MB) for the Unaddressed Mail Service.

Some helpful references are provided below:

1 Effectiveness of Mail for Government, Bastion Insights prepared for Australia Post, 24 January 2020. N=2,020

2 The Unaddressed Mail Service is not designed for and does not guarantee delivery within electoral boundaries. Therefore, Australia Post does not provide any warranties in respect of delivery points and the accuracy of delivery point counts within electoral boundaries.

3 Excluding public holidays.

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