---
title: Build a Ballot
type: civic tech
status: active
country: AU
website: https://www.buildaballot.org.au
logo: /assets/org-logos/build-a-ballot.png
contact:
  checked: 2026-07-24
  email: tool@buildaballot.org.au
  source: https://www.buildaballot.org.au
summary: An Australian voter advice tool that helps citizens match their values to
  candidates before elections — launched before each state and federal election by
  Project Planet, a climate-focused charity.
concepts:
- representative-democracy
- e-government
location:
  latitude: -33.8688
  longitude: 151.2093
  name: Sydney, Australia
  precision: city
events:
- date: '2020-01-01'
  title: Project Planet co-founded during the 2019–20 Black Summer bushfires
  url: https://www.buildaballot.org.au/about
  quote: Project Planet was co-founded by Lizzie Hedding and Tegan Lerm after connecting
    online during the 2019–20 bushfires.
  note: Exact month not specified on the source page; dated to the start of the 2020
    calendar year as a placeholder.
  proof_level: high
  url_checked: '2026-08-16'
- date: '2022-01-01'
  title: Launched its first voting tool, "Vote 1 Climate," ahead of the 2022 federal
    election
  url: https://www.buildaballot.org.au/about
  quote: Ahead of the 2022 federal election, we built our first voting tool, Vote
    1 Climate.
  proof_level: high
  url_checked: '2026-08-16'
  notable: true
- date: '2025-05-03'
  title: Scaled up for the 2025 federal election, growing the team from two to four
  url: https://www.buildaballot.org.au/about
  quote: In the lead-up to the 2025 federal election, thousands of Australians — most
    contributing donations under $50 — helped bring Build a Ballot to life at scale.
  proof_level: high
  url_checked: '2026-08-16'
  notable: true
- date: '2026-03-21'
  title: Tool live for the 2026 South Australian state election
  url: https://www.buildaballot.org.au/transparency/candidate-and-party-assessments
  quote: View how candidates and parties have been assessed on the policies included
    in the Build a Ballot tool for the 2026 South Australian election.
  proof_level: high
  url_checked: '2026-08-16'
- date: '2026-11-28'
  title: Planned coverage for the 2026 Victorian state election
  url: https://www.buildaballot.org.au/about
  quote: Over the next three years, we’re expanding Build a Ballot to state elections
    in:...South Australia and Victoria in 2026
  proof_level: high
  url_checked: '2026-08-16'
- date: '2027-03-13'
  title: Planned coverage for the 2027 New South Wales state election
  url: https://www.buildaballot.org.au/about
  quote: Over the next three years, we’re expanding Build a Ballot to state elections
    in:...New South Wales in 2027
  proof_level: high
  url_checked: '2026-08-16'
activity:
  manual:
    checked: 2026-06-07
    date: 2026-06-07
    note: was definitely active last year, as noted by a dod member
  sitemap:
    checked: 2026-08-17
    date: 2026-06-05
    note: Server still up (sitemap detected)
last_checked: '2026-06-28'
---

Build a Ballot is a voter advice application (VAA) built and maintained by Project Planet Inc., an Australian charity focused on climate change. The tool launches a few weeks before each state and federal election, presenting voters with a short series of policy questions and calculating a "match score" with candidates and parties in their electorate.

## How it works

Users answer questions on major policy issues — housing, energy, healthcare, climate — selected because they consistently rank as top voter concerns and are backed by strong evidence as material issues. Based on responses, the tool generates a ranked match score with candidates in the user's electorate.

Build a Ballot makes no automatic recommendations: the match score is derived entirely from the user's own stated preferences. It includes a transparency centre documenting its methodology.

## Significance

Voter advice applications are a form of civic technology that lowers the barrier to informed voting — particularly relevant in Australian elections, where the preferential voting system requires voters to rank all candidates and navigating minor party preferences can be confusing. Build a Ballot has been used across multiple state and federal elections.

## Links

- Website: [buildaballot.org.au](https://www.buildaballot.org.au)

## See also

- [Representative Democracy](../concepts/representative-democracy.md)
- [E-Government](../concepts/e-government.md)
- [Open Australia Foundation](open-australia-foundation.md)