Here is everything you need to know about the voting process in the 2025 Australia federal election.
When is election day and what time do polls open and close?
The 2025 Australian federal election takes place on Saturday 3 May.
Polling booths will open to vote at 8am local time and close at 6pm on election day.
Which electorate am I in?
You can find your electorate by entering your address on this page on the website of the Australian Election Commission (AEC). The results of the 2022 election in each electorate are on the commission’s Tally Room site, but bear in mind that boundaries of many seats have since been changed, primarily in NSW, Victoria and WA. You can read about what those changes mean on the election blog of the ABC’s Antony Green.
Where can I find a polling booth near me?
You can find polling booths near you by entering a suburb or postcode on this page on the AEC website, but you don’t have to vote in your own electorate. The AEC’s voting options page says “you can vote at any polling place in your state or territory on polling day”.
Voting on election day
At the ballot box, you will be handed two pieces of paper. The smaller is for the House of Representatives, which is elected using preferential voting. You must number every box in order of your preference for your vote to be valid. The larger is for the Senate, which consists of 76 members, 12 for each state, and two for each territory – as with most federal polls, only half are up for election or re-election (except in the territories, where all senators face the voters again). On the Senate ballot paper, you can vote in one of two ways. First, you can number at least six boxes above the line, indicating the parties or groups you prefer in the order of your choice. Or you can vote below the line, meaning you are voting individually for the candidates nominated by each party or group. In this case you must number at least 12 boxes to cast a valid vote. More information is available on the AEC website for the House of Representatives and the Senate.
What do I need to know about preferences?
An increasing number of seats in Australian elections are decided on preferences, so it’s worth thinking about all your choices, not just the No. 1. Here’s an explanation of what happened with preferences at the last election, and five seats where the parties’ how-to-vote cards may make a difference. But don’t forget it’s your vote – you don’t have to follow anyone’s recommendation on preferences.
Not sure who to vote for?
Here is a simple rundown of the main policies of Labor, the Coalition and the Greens.
Where’s my democracy sausage?
The hallowed tradition that dates to about 2010 (its name at least) now has a comprehensive website outlining the food on offer at hundreds of polling booths in Australia and beyond. It’s a lot more than sausages of course.
How many seats does each party hold?
In the outgoing parliament Labor held 78 of 151 seats in the House of Representatives, giving it an overall majority. The Coalition held 54 seats, the Greens four and independents 13, with one each for the Centre Alliance party and Katter’s Australia party.
At the 2025 election the lower house returns to 150 members, with Western Australia gaining one seat and New South Wales and Victoria each losing one, therefore 76 is the target for majority government.
Labor held one of the abolished seats (Higgins), while North Sydney was held by the independent Kylea Tink. The new WA seat, Bullwinkel, is notionally a Labor marginal. Many other seats have changed boundaries – see the AEC’s estimate of the new notional margins, which differ in a few cases from those calculated by the ABC’s Antony Green.
No party has a majority in the 76-seat Senate. The Coalition holds 30 seats, Labor 25 and the Greens 11, with the remaining 10 seats held by independents and minor parties. These are the senators up for re-election in 2025. And these are some of the less well-known hopefuls you may want to read up on before voting.
What happens if no party wins a lower house majority?
If neither of the two main parties wins a majority of seats, they will need to rely on minor parties and/or independents for confidence and supply. This may mean extended negotiations take place after polling day until we know who will be able to form government.
The last election that led to a minority government was in 2010, when Labor eventually secured the support of independents enabling Julia Gillard to remain as prime minister.
What do the polls say?
Guardian Australia’s poll tracker, which takes account of all published polls, shows the Coalition held a handy lead on a two-party-preferred basis at the start of the year, but Labor has steadily narrowed the gap and then overhauled it. Most analysis of the polls still suggests a minority Labor government is the most likely outcome, but some late polls have put Anthony Albanese within sight of an overall victory. Results are never uniform across the country and national poll figures do not necessarily allow for an accurate prediction of how many seats any party may win.
Where can I watch and follow the election results on the night?
Guardian Australia’s live blog will be running throughout the day and into the night until counting stops. We will have all the news, comment and analysis as the full picture emerges.
There will be live coverage after the polls close on the ABC, SBS, all commercial free-to-air channels and Sky.
