Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has finally called the 2025 federal election for May 3.
Here is everything Australian voters need to know about the upcoming election.
If you are an Australian citizen and 18 or over, you must participate in the election.
If you have just turned 18, have moved house since the last federal election in 2022, or returned from living overseas for a while, then you will need to enrol to vote by 8pm on April 4, 2025.
Those who don’t vote will be fined a $20 penalty.
The ‘exclusive’ club PM Anthony Albanese will join if he wins the federal election
The federal election will take place on Saturday, May 3, 2025.
How and when can we early vote?
You may be able to vote early if you cannot make it to the polling booth on the day.
You will be eligible for early voting if you:
- are outside the electorate where you are enrolled to vote
- are more than 8km from a polling place
- are travelling
- are unable to leave your workplace to vote
- are seriously ill, infirm or due to give birth shortly (or caring for someone who is)
- are a person with disability (or caring for someone who is)
- are a patient in hospital and can’t vote at the hospital
- have religious beliefs that prevent you from attending a polling place
- are in prison serving a sentence of less than three years or otherwise detained
- are a silent elector
- have a reasonable fear for your safety or wellbeing.
Early voting opens on Tuesday, April 22. You will be able to vote early by going to one of the early voting booths in your electorate.
The eligibility criteria for postal voting is the same as early voting, however you must apply to receive a postal vote package.
Applications are currently open for this election, and you can apply now online here or receive a paper form from any AEC office or printed from the AEC website, or a form can be posted to you by requesting one from the AEC by calling 13 23 26.
Applications can be submitted by post, email, or returned in person to an AEC office, and will close at 6pm on Wednesday, April 30.
You will receive your postal vote pack in the mail. You must complete and mark or sign your postal vote by 6pm on May 3, and your ballot paper must be received by the AEC no more than 13 days after election day.
How do we vote from overseas or interstate?
It is not compulsory to vote if you are outside Australia. However, if you do not inform the AEC, it will write to you asking you to explain why you did not vote.
You can also cast a postal vote from overseas. You will need to provide an overseas address to receive your postal vote pack, and voters are encouraged to apply as soon as possible to receive the pack in time.
How do we vote on election day?
If you are voting on election day, you can cast your vote at a polling booth in your state or territory. Polling places are usually located at local schools, churches and community halls, or public buildings, and will be confirmed online closer to the election date.
You will be handed two pieces of paper at the ballot box. The smaller piece is for the House of Representatives, one of the two houses in parliament which consists of representatives for each electorate in Australia.
To fill out this ballot, you must number every box in order of your preferences. You are required to write “1” in the box next to the candidate who is your first choice, followed by “2” for your second choice, and so on.
The larger bit of paper you will receive is for the Senate, the other house that makes up parliament, which comprises 12 members from each of the six states and two from each of the mainland territories.
To fill out this ballot, you can vote one of two ways:
- number at least six boxes above the line for the parties or groups of your choice, or
- number at least 12 boxes below the line for individual candidates of your choice.
Who can we vote for in this election?
The two major players in the 2025 federal election are the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and the Coalition, which is made up of the Liberal Party and the Nationals.
The two contenders for prime minister are current PM Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton.
Labor won with a majority in the House of Representatives last election, with 77 seats (which later increased to 78 after a later by-election).
The Coalition won 58 seats (27 for the Liberals, 21 for the LNP, and 10 for the Nationals) at the last election, its lowest seat share since 1983.
The Greens were the next largest single entity in the 47th parliament, holding four seats, while independents held 10 and there were another two crossbench members from minor parties in the form of Rebekha Sharkie (Centre Alliance) and Bob Katter (Katter’s Australian Party).
What is dissolution of parliament and caretaker mode?
When an election is called, the parliament is dissolved and the government goes into what’s known as caretaker mode.
The 47th parliament, which commenced when Albanese was elected in 2022, ended once the governor-general called the election.
Caretaker mode ensures that successive governments don’t bind the incoming government and limit its freedom of action.
To do this, the government must avoid: making major policy decisions likely to commit an incoming government, making significant appointments, and entering into major contracts or undertakings, which include negotiations and discussions with international governments.
However, major decisions made prior to caretaker mode – but announced after it – are not considered an infringement.
