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.

Those who don’t vote will be fined a $20 penalty.

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:

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.

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?

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.

To fill out this ballot, you can vote one of two ways:

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.