Australians are set to go to the polls in May.
While there had been speculation Prime Minister Anthony Albanese would call a 12 April election, Tropical Cyclone Alfred seems to have blown that possibility out of the water.
Here’s what you need to know about the federal election in 2025.
What’s the latest possible federal election date?
Unlike parts of the world where election dates are set, the exact timing of Australia’s federal election is up to the prime minister.
However, the PM doesn’t have a totally free hand.
For instance, the constitution requires elections to be held no later than 68 days after House of Representatives terms expire.
With those terms ending on 25 July 2025, the election must be held by 27 September.
However, since half of the Senate’s terms end on 30 June 2025, an election must take place before then.
Considering procedural factors and the tradition of holding house and half-Senate elections together, the latest possible date for the next federal election is 17 May 2025.
Senior government sources confirmed to SBS World News on Friday 7 March that the prime minister was not planning to call the election by Monday, as previously anticipated.
It was understood Albanese had planned to call the federal election for 12 April on Sunday, after those in Western Australia had voted in the WA state election on Saturday.
However, with Tropical Cyclone Alfred expected to make landfall in Queensland over the weekend, the PM has said it is “not a time for looking at politics”.
“I have no intention of doing anything that distracts from what we need to do,” Albanese told ABC’s 7.30 program.
“My sole focus is not calling an election, my sole focus is on the needs of Australians. That is my sole focus.”
With the last two weekends of April being the Easter and Anzac Day long weekends, this means the election will be held on one of the first three Saturdays in May.
Albanese told the ABC he was committed to handing down a federal budget on 25 March.
What happens when the election is called?
To kick off the official election campaign, Albanese will visit Governor-General Sam Mostyn to request the dissolution of parliament and the issuance of writs for the election.
Graeme Orr, a law professor at the University of Queensland said unless there are extraordinary circumstances, Mostyn will start the process “almost straight away”.
“There’s a formal document called a writ, which is issued to tell the Electoral Commission: ‘Hey, election time, guys,'” he said.
“Here are the key dates, dates to close the roll so you get seven days’ grace from the issue of the writ to update your enrolment, which is really important for young people, the mobile society and also new immigrants.”
According to the AEC, 17.8 million Australians are enrolled to vote at over 7,000 polling stations across the country on election day. Source: AAP / Mick Tsikas
Orr explains the Electoral Act ensures there is a minimal 33-day campaign, and while it could go longer, it’s not what people want.
“We like relatively short campaigns, this American approach, where the campaign goes on, including the primaries, well over a year, and costs billions of dollars just doesn’t fit our more pragmatic model,” he said.
The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) noted that the federal election, with its multiple voting options and high enrolment rates, is “one of the largest and most complex” logistical events in the country.
According to the AEC, 17.8 million Australians — 98 per cent of eligible voters — are enrolled to vote at over 7,000 polling stations nationwide on election day.
All voter enrollments must be up to date, including changes to address or name. Updates can be made via .
