Early voting for the 2025 federal election officially kicks off today, and the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) is urging voters to plan ahead and be prepared.
Early voting centres are progressively opening across the country and will remain open until Friday 2 May for those who are unable to vote on election day.
“If you can vote on election day Saturday 3 May then that is what you need to do,” said Australian Electoral Commissioner Jeff Pope.
“If you can’t [vote on election day] then you can vote at one of our many early voting centres across the country. I encourage all voters to consider their circumstances and plan their vote,”
However, not all centres open on the same day, and some won’t be available until the final week of voting. Voters are encouraged to check the AEC website for their nearest centre’s specific dates and times. Centres will be closed on ANZAC Day (25 April), and only some will open on Saturday 26 April.
“There is potential for people to rush in early on day one of the voting period or an influx on Saturday 26 April… or significant volumes on the final day,” said Pope.
“The AEC has forecasted potential traffic at our venues, will monitor volumes and is planning as much as possible to minimise queues where it is possible.”
Early voting has become increasingly popular, with over half of all voters casting their ballots early in the 2022 election. The AEC expects a similar trend this year, with voters choosing from in-person early voting, mobile voting, and postal voting options.
Pre-poll is increasingly popular, despite a law change in 2021 limiting it to just 12 days before election day and increasing demands from the parties to restrict the availability of convenience voting options.
Mobile voting has also commenced today, with 70 AEC teams deploying to remote areas of Australia using 4WDs, light aircraft, helicopters, and even boats. Parkes is one of the seats that has a significant mobile voting operation, with the AEC planning to visit 23 remote locations, including Bullarah, Garah, and Toomelah.
“In addition to these remote voter services (RVS) locations in Parkes, we’re planning to visit 32 hospitals in the electorate and will have 14 pre-poll locations in the early voting period available and 91 polling places on election day itself,” a spokesperson for the AEC said.
“In terms of the electorate of New England, we are planning to visit 30 hospitals in the electorate and will have 9 pre-poll locations in the early voting period available and 89 polling places on election day itself.”
The AEC also offers mobile polling to non-remote discrete Indigenous communities where voters within the community do not have feasible access to other voting services and there are at least 10 electors, as well as mobile polling to Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations, known as ‘ACCHOs’, in non-remote Australia.
In addition, early overseas voting begins today at 111 embassies, consulates, and high commissions around the world. Postal vote packs are already being dispatched, and 1.8 million Australians have applied.
“Australian elections are unique and special in many ways – including the variety of voting options provided,” said Pope.
“No matter whether you’re in remote Australia or on the other side of the world, the AEC is pulling out all the stops to reach you.”
Find your nearest polling booth on the AEC website
Follow all the New England Times coverage of the federal election here or have your say on Engage
See more about the race in New England here
See more about the race in Parkes here