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Next Australian federal election
← 2025 On or before 23 September 2028
All 150 seats in the House of Representatives
76 seats needed for a majority
40 of 76 seats in the Senate
Opinion polls
 
Anthony Albanese portrait (re-crop).jpg
Sussan Ley 2020 (cropped).jpg
Larissa Waters 2019.png
Leader Anthony Albanese Sussan Ley Larissa Waters
Party Labor Liberal–National Coalition Greens
Leader since 30 May 2019 (2019-05-30) 13 May 2025 (2025-05-13) 15 May 2025
Leader's seat Grayndler (NSW) Farrer (NSW) Queensland (Senate)
Last election 94 seats 43 seats 1 seat
Current seats 94 43 1
Seats needed Steady Increase 33 Increase 75
 
Robbie Katter with hat at lookout (cropped).jpg
CA
Leader Robbie Katter No leader
Party Katter's Australian Centre Alliance
Leader since 3 February 2020 N/A
Leader's seat None[a] N/A
Last election 1 seat 1 seat
Current seats 1 1
Seats needed N/A[b] N/A[c]
Incumbent Prime Minister

Anthony Albanese
Labor



The next Australian federal election will be held on or before 20 May 2028 (for the House and half the Senate) or on before 23 September 2028 (for just the House) or on or before 18 March 2028 (for the entirety of both houses) to elect members of the House of Representatives and half of the Senate to the 49th Parliament of Australia.

It is expected that the incumbent Labor majority government, led by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, will seek a third three-year term in government. They are expected to be challenged by the Liberal–National Coalition, led by opposition leader Sussan Ley. It is expected that the Australian Greens, Pauline Hanson's One Nation, and other minor parties and independents will contest the election.

Australia has compulsory voting, with preferential instant-runoff voting in single-member seats.

Background

[edit]
This section is an excerpt from 48th Parliament of Australia § Prior to sitting.[edit]

The 2025 Australian federal election, held on 3 May, resulted in a historic landslide victory for the Australian Labor Party (ALP) under Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Labor secured 94 seats in the House of Representatives, growing their parliamentary majority and achieving the largest number of seats won by the party at the federal level since 1987. The result exceeded almost all published opinion polling, which had predicted either a smaller majority for the Labor government or a hung parliament. It was the fourth time in history that a party or coalition secured 90 or more seats in a federal election—the last instance being in 2013. It also marked the first time a single party, and specifically the Labor Party, achieved this feat and this was also the equal largest number of seats won by a party or coalition in Australian electoral history exceeding the 1975 election result and equalling the 1996 result.[citation needed]

The Coalition suffered significant losses, including the seat of Dickson, held by then-Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, who was unseated by Labor's Ali France.[1][2]

A particularly notable outcome was the dramatic decline of the Australian Greens in the lower house. The party lost three of its four seats, including the long-held seat of Melbourne, where Greens leader Adam Bandt was defeated by Labor's Sarah Witty, ending his 15-year tenure in Parliament. The Greens' only remaining seat in the House of Representatives was Ryan in Queensland, held by Elizabeth Watson-Brown. Analysts attributed the Greens' losses to a combination of factors, including controversial stances on foreign policy, particularly regarding the Israel-Gaza conflict, and a perceived shift away from core environmental issues, leading to voter alienation in key electorates.[3][4][5]

Another significant development in the 2025 election was the re-emergence of Clive Palmer with a new political party, the Trumpet of Patriots. After the High Court blocked the re-registration of his previous party, the United Australia Party, Palmer joined the Trumpet of Patriots in February 2025, which was modelled after Trumpism. The party's campaign featured slogans like "Make Australia Great Again" and policies opposing immigration and gender diversity initiatives. Despite spending approximately $60 million on a nationwide advertising blitz, including over $6 million on YouTube and Meta platforms, and sending over 17 million unsolicited text messages, the party failed to secure any seats in Parliament, garnering only 1.85% of the national vote. Following this defeat, Palmer announced his retirement from politics, citing his age and a desire to focus on philanthropic efforts.[6]

Nationals senator Matt Canavan challenged incumbent leader David Littleproud in a leadership spill.[7] Littleproud was re-elected as party leader on 12 May.[8]

On 13 May 2025, the Liberals elected their new leader in a leadership election. Following the federal election but prior to the leadership election, Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price defected from the Nationals party room to the Liberal party room to stand in the election for the position of Deputy Leader. Sussan Ley was subsequently elected leader, narrowly defeating Angus Taylor, with Ted O'Brien being elected as her deputy.[9] Ley is the first woman elected to lead the Liberals, the Coalition, or serve as the Leader of the Opposition at the federal level in Australia.[10] At 63, Ley is also the oldest first-time Leader of the Opposition since Arthur Calwell in 1960.[11]

The Greens held a leadership election on 15 May 2025, and elected senator Larissa Waters as their leader.[12]

On 20 May 2025, Littleproud announced the breakup of the Coalition, citing irreconcilable policy disagreements around nuclear energy amongst other topics.[13]

On 28 May 2025, Sussan Ley and David Littleproud announced that a new deal had been reached to reunify the Liberal-National Coalition after the Liberal Party agreed on an 'in principle' basis to support the four policy demands from the Nationals Party - removing the moratorium on nuclear energy, supermarket divestiture powers, regional phone coverage, and a regional future fund.[14] The Coalition's shadow cabinet, consisting of 14 Liberals and 6 Nationals, was announced later that afternoon.[15]

On 2 June 2025, Western Australian senator Dorinda Cox announced that she had switched party from the Greens to the ALP. This did not however change the overall mathematical numbers in reaching a senate majority with the Greens still holding the balance of power.[16]

Electoral system

[edit]

Members of the House of Representatives are elected by full preferential voting. Each electorate elects one member. Senators are elected by proportional representation using single transferable vote. In states, senators are elected from state-wide twelve-member districts (although in most cases only six seats are contested at a single election), and in territories from territory-wide two-member districts. Ballots are counted at least twice, at the polling place and, starting Monday night after election day, at counting centres.[17][18]

Redistribution

[edit]
See also: Divisions of the Australian House of Representatives and Redistribution (Australia)

The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) is required, one year after the first sitting day for a new House of Representatives, to determine the number of members to which each state and territory is entitled. If the number in any state changes, a redistribution would be required in those states. A redistribution would be postponed if it would begin within one year of the expiration of the House of Representatives.

Notwithstanding the above, Queensland, Tasmania, South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory will have to undergo scheduled redistributions in 2025–2026 as seven years have already or would have elapsed since their last respective redistribution.[19]

Voter registration

[edit]

Enrolment of eligible voters is compulsory. Voters must notify the AEC within 8 weeks of a change of address or after turning 18. The electoral rolls are closed for new enrolments or update of details about a week after the issue of writs for election.[20] Enrolment is optional for 16 or 17-year-olds, but they cannot vote until they turn 18,[21][22] and persons who have applied for Australian citizenship may also apply for provisional enrolment which takes effect on the granting of citizenship.[23]

Election date

[edit]
This section is an excerpt from Electoral system of Australia § Election day.[edit]

The date and type of federal election is determined by the Prime Minister – after a consideration of constitutional requirements, legal requirements, as well as political considerations – who advises the Governor-General to set the process in motion by dissolving either or both houses and issuing writs for election for the House of Representatives and territorial senators. The Constitution of Australia does not require simultaneous elections for the Senate and the House of Representatives, but it has long been preferred that elections for the two houses take place simultaneously. The most recent House-only election took place in 1972, and the most recent Senate-only election took place in 1970. The last independently dated Senate election writ occurred during the Gair Affair in 1974. Federal elections must be held on a Saturday[24] which has been the case since the 1913 federal election.[25]

Subject to those considerations, an election for the House of Representatives can be called at any time before the expiration of the three-year term of the House of Representatives[26][27] The term of the House of Representatives starts on the first sitting day of the House following its election and runs for a maximum of three years, but the House can be dissolved earlier.[26] The date of the first sitting can be extended provided that "There shall be a session of the Parliament once at least in every year, so that twelve months shall not intervene between the last sitting of the Parliament in one session and its first sitting in the next session, but subject to the requirement that the House shall meet not more than 30 days after the date appointed for the return of the writs."[28] The actual date of the election is later. Between 10 and 27 days must be allowed for nominations,[29] and the actual election would be set between 21 and 31 days after the close of nominations.[30] Accordingly, between 31 and 58 days must be allowed after the issue of the writs to the election.

The term of senators ends on 30 June either three (for half the senators if it follows a double-dissolution) or six years after their election. Elections of senators at a half-Senate election must take place in the year before the terms expire, except if parliament is dissolved earlier.[31] The terms of senators from the territories align with House elections. The latest date that a half-Senate election can be held must allow time for the votes to be counted and the writs to be returned before the newly elected senators take office on 1 July. This took over a month in 2016, so practically, the date in which a half-Senate election is to take place must be between 1 July of the year before Senate terms expire until mid-May of the expiry year.

A double dissolution cannot take place within six months before the date of the expiry of the House of Representatives.[32]
This section is an excerpt from Electoral system of Australia § Constitutional and legal provisions.[edit]

The Constitutional and legal provisions which impact on the choice of election dates include:[33]

  • Section 12 of the Constitution says: "The Governor of any State may cause writs to be issued for the election of Senators for that State"[34]
  • Section 13 of the Constitution provides that the election of senators shall be held in the period of twelve months before the places become vacant.[31]
  • Section 28 of the Constitution says: "Every House of Representatives shall continue for three years from the first sitting of the House, and no longer, but may be sooner dissolved by the Governor-General."[35]
  • Section 32 of the Constitution says: "The writs shall be issued within ten days from the expiry of a House of Representatives or from the proclamation of a dissolution thereof."[36]
  • Section 156 (1) of the CEA says: "The date fixed for the nomination of the candidates shall not be less than 10 days nor more than 27 days after the date of the writ".[29]
  • Section 157 of the CEA says: "The date fixed for the polling shall not be less than 23 days nor more than 31 days after the date of nomination".[30]
  • Section 158 of the CEA says: "The day fixed for the polling shall be a Saturday".[24]
Election type Earliest date Latest date

Simultaneous half-Senate and House of Representatives

7 August 2027 20 May 2028
Half-Senate
House of Representatives No earliest date 23 September 2028
Double dissolution
(requires specific triggers) 		No earliest date 18 March 2028

The election of senators must take place within one year before the terms expire for half-Senate elections,[37] so the writs for a half-Senate election cannot be issued earlier than 1 July 2027. Since campaigns are for a minimum of 33 days,[38] the earliest possible date for a simultaneous House and half-Senate election is Saturday, 7 August 2027.[39] Given that the elections for the new senators must take place by 30 June 2028, the latest possible date for a half-Senate election is 20 May 2028.

The latest possible election for the House of Representatives will be subject to the conditions above, with the house scheduled to first meet on 22 July 2025. Based on this, the house will expire on 21 July 2028, 10 days after that is 31 July 2028 and 27 days after that is 27 August 2028, and 31 days after that is Wednesday 27 September 2028. Given the fixed Saturday polling day the latest possible date for a house only election is Saturday 23 September 2028.

A double dissolution (a deadlock-breaking provision to dissolve both houses of parliament) cannot be called within six months before the date of the expiry of the House of Representatives.[40] That means that any double dissolution of the 48th Parliament would have had to be granted by Friday 21 January 2028. Allowing for the same stages indicated above, the last possible date for a double dissolution election would be 18 March 2028.[39] This can only occur if a bill that passes the House of Representatives is rejected by the Senate twice, at least three months apart.

Candidates

[edit]

Potential

[edit]

Nominations will not open until the election is formally called, but some individuals have made public announcements of their intention to run.

Candidate Party Division State/Territory Reference
Ziad Basyouny IND Watson NSW [41][non-primary source needed]
Zoe Daniel IND Goldstein VIC [42]
Hannah Ferguson IND Senate NSW [43]
Lee Hanson ONP Senate TAS [44]
Michelle Milthorpe IND Farrer NSW [45]
Mandy Nolan GRN Richmond NSW [46]
Fatima Payman AV[d] Senate WA [47]
Jessie Price IND Bean ACT [48][49]
Lidia Thorpe IND[e] Senate VIC [50]
Tammy Tyrrell TT[f] Senate TAS [51]

Retiring members

[edit]

Other

[edit]

Opinion polling

[edit]
Main article: Opinion polling for the next Australian federal election

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Party leader Robbie Katter sits as the member for Traeger in the Queensland Legislative Assembly.
  2. ^ KAP are unlikely to field candidates outside of Queensland (30 seats), making it mathematically impossible for the party to form majority government.
  3. ^ Centre Alliance MP Rebekha Sharkie, who has described CA as a "party of one," has been its sole candidate at federal elections since 2022.
  4. ^ Elected as Labor in 2022.
  5. ^ Elected as Green in 2022.
  6. ^ Elected as Jacqui Lambie Network in 2022.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Knott, Matthew (5 May 2025). "Did the polls get this election wrong?". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 6 May 2025. Retrieved 13 May 2025.
  2. ^ "Everything you need to know about Dickson: The key seat the Coalition has been defending for 25 years". Brisbane Times. 25 April 2025. Archived from the original on 3 May 2025. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
  3. ^ "Greens leader Adam Bandt concedes seat, ending 15 years in parliament". ABC News. 8 May 2025. Retrieved 13 May 2025.
  4. ^ "Why some voters flipped from Greens to Labor in progressive Melbourne". ABC News. 8 May 2025. Archived from the original on 11 May 2025. Retrieved 13 May 2025.
  5. ^ "Greens leader Adam Bandt becomes second party chief to lose seat after Peter Dutton ousted". News.com.au. 9 May 2025. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
  6. ^ Hussey, Samuel (4 May 2025). "How billionaire Clive Palmer burned $60 million on a party that won nothing". Forbes Australia. Retrieved 13 May 2025.
  7. ^ "Matt Canavan challenges David Littleproud as Coalition fractures deepen". 7NEWS. 9 May 2025. Retrieved 11 May 2025.
  8. ^ Cassidy, Caitlin; Convery, Stephanie (12 May 2025). "Australia news live: Bridget McKenzie says Nationals a 'highly intellectual group of fighters' after David Littleproud re-elected as leader". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
  9. ^ "Jacinta Price announces run for deputy Liberal Party leader". 9News. 10 May 2025. Retrieved 11 May 2025.
  10. ^ Truu, Maani (13 May 2025). "Sussan Ley becomes first woman to lead Liberal Party". ABC News. Retrieved 13 May 2025.
  11. ^ Cassidy, Caitlin; Kelly, Cait (13 May 2025). "Australia news live: Sussan Ley claims PM's approach to Jewish Australians 'one of the biggest threats to social cohesion'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 13 May 2025.
  12. ^ "Larissa Waters chosen as new Greens leader". ABC News. 15 May 2025. Archived from the original on 17 May 2025. Retrieved 19 May 2025.
  13. ^ McIlroy, Tom (20 May 2025). "Nationals leaving Coalition as David Littleproud announces split with Liberal party after election defeat". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 20 May 2025.
  14. ^ "Coalition split officially over after little more than a week". www.9news.com.au. 28 May 2025. Retrieved 28 May 2025.
  15. ^ Jervis-Bardy, Dan; Butler, Josh; McIlroy, Tom (28 May 2025). "Liberals and Nationals reach agreement to reunite Coalition a week after dramatic split". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 28 May 2025.
  16. ^ "Greens senator Dorinda Cox makes shock switch to Labor". The Sydney Morning Herald. 2 June 2025. Retrieved 2 June 2025.
  17. ^ "House of Representatives count". Australian Electoral Commission. 28 January 2025. Archived from the original on 16 January 2025. Retrieved 5 May 2025.
  18. ^ "The Senate counting process". Australian Electoral Commission. 27 February 2025. Archived from the original on 21 January 2025. Retrieved 5 May 2025.
  19. ^ "When is the next redistribution of my state or territory due?". Australian Electoral Commission. 28 March 2025. Archived from the original on 4 May 2025. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
  20. ^ Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 (Cth) s 155 Date of close of Rolls
  21. ^ "Enrol to vote". Australian Electoral Commission. 7 April 2025. Archived from the original on 1 October 2019. Retrieved 5 May 2025.
  22. ^ Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 (Cth) s 100 Claims for age 16 enrolment
  23. ^ Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 (Cth) s 99A Provisional claim for enrolment by applicant for citizenship
  24. ^ a b Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 (Cth) s 158 Polling to be on a Saturday
  25. ^ "Australia's major electoral developments Timeline: 1900 – Present". Australian Electoral Commission. Retrieved 28 June 2013.
  26. ^ a b Constitution of Australia, s. 28.
  27. ^ Constitution of Australia, s. 32.
  28. ^ Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act (Cth) Section 6 Yearly session of Parliament.
  29. ^ a b Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 (Cth) s 156 Date of nomination
  30. ^ a b Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 (Cth) s 157 Date of polling
  31. ^ a b Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act (Cth) s 13 Rotation of senators.
  32. ^ Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act (Cth) s 57 Disagreement between the Houses.
  33. ^ Lundie, Rob. "Australian elections timetable". Parliament of Australia. Archived from the original on 8 January 2011.
  34. ^ Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act (Cth) s 12 Issue of writs.
  35. ^ Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act (Cth) s 28 Duration of House of Representatives.
  36. ^ Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act (Cth) s 32 Writs for general election.
  37. ^ Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act (Cth) s 13 Rotation of senators
  38. ^
    • Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 (Cth) s 157 Date of polling
    • Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 (Cth) s 156 Date of nomination
  39. ^ a b Lundie, Rob; Schatz, Laura; Muller, Damon (13 January 2020). "'So when is the next election?': Australian elections timetable as at January 2020". Parliamentary Library of Australia, Parliament of Australia. Archived from the original on 29 March 2021. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
  40. ^ Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act (Cth) s 57
  41. ^ Basyouny, Ziad [@ziad_basyouny]; (31 May 2025). "The independents are not going away, our team was able to get the vote of 1 out of every 3 voters (third of the whole vote) in just 6 months, think what we can do in 18 months". Retrieved 1 June 2025 – via Instagram.
  42. ^ Tom, William (1 June 2025). "Liberals win Goldstein as ousted MP hints at comeback". Australian Financial Review. Archived from the original on 1 June 2025. Retrieved 1 June 2025. Liberal Tim Wilson has won a hard-fought election battle against teal independent Zoe Daniel, with the defeated MP hinting at a potential rematch.
  43. ^ "PM says Australia has 'no more important relationship' than with Indonesia – as it happened". The Guardian. 14 May 2025. Cheek Media chief Hannah Ferguson to run for Senate, endorses Sarah Hanson-Young. Archived from the original on 16 May 2025. Retrieved 14 May 2025.
  44. ^ Wang, Jessica (29 May 2025). "Pauline Hanson's daughter Lee Hanson vows political comeback after failed Senate tilt". News.com.au. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
  45. ^ Bunn, Anthony (3 May 2025). "'Too many things aren't being addressed': Independent flags another run". The Border Mail. Retrieved 1 June 2025. Independent candidate Michelle Milthorpe has left the door open to a second tilt at Farrer, saying she hopes to make the southern Riverina seat marginal in the federal election. The school teacher is seeking to topple deputy Liberal leader Sussan Ley, who has held the seat since 2001, currently by a margin of 16.3 per cent. "I think there is a chance that we can make this a really marginal seat, obviously I want to win, I wouldn't be putting my family and my career and my reputation through this if I didn't" Mrs Milthorpe said.
  46. ^ "Mandy Nolan concedes defeat in seat of Richmond". Byron Shire Echo. 6 May 2025. Retrieved 1 June 2025. Meanwhile Ms Nolan, says she'll put her hand up to run again at the next federal election, and will stand for pre-selection once it opens.
  47. ^ Boscaini, Joshua (3 June 2025). "Federal politics: Anthony Albanese defends Dorinda Cox defection despite past Labor criticism — as it happened". ABC News. Does Payman support the extension of North West Shelf gas project?. Retrieved 3 June 2025. To finish off the interview, Payman says she intends to contest the 2028 federal election when her Senate term comes to a end.
  48. ^ Johnson, Chris (12 May 2025). "Labor retains Bean on the slimmest of margins, while Price vows to run again". Region Canberra. Retrieved 1 June 2025. She has also vowed to take another tilt at the seat.
  49. ^ Bell, Patrick (17 May 2025). "Contest for Bean leaves David Smith confronted with something few of Canberra's federal MPs have to deal with". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 1 June 2025. He is now confronted with something few of Canberra's recent federal MPs have had to deal with — a marginal seat to defend.
  50. ^ Butler, Dan (29 January 2025). "Lidia Thorpe says she will run for the Senate again in 2028". National Indigenous Television. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
  51. ^ Withers, Rachel (14 November 2024). "Tammy Tyrrell isn't just Lambie Lite, and now she's going after Labor's social media ban". Crickey. Archived from the original on 19 March 2025. Retrieved 1 June 2025. "I think they're getting more. They've actually got two passionate women fighting for Tasmanians," says Tyrrell, who plans to run again, under "Tammy Tyrrell for Tasmania", though the seat is hers until 2028.
  52. ^ Alfares, Mohammad (13 May 2025). "Hitler-hailing Babet to quit politics' 'dark lagoon'". The Australian. Archived from the original on 13 May 2025. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
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