Live: Albanese makes final campaign pitch with sports metaphors

They’re a long way from home, but that’s no barrier for tens of thousands of Australians seeking a democracy sausage overseas.

This year, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Austrade are managing 111 overseas voting locations across 83 countries.

The smell of an Aussie BBQ has attracted hundreds of voters to sausage sizzles hosted by the New York Consulate in the United States.

Polling places in NSW, VIC, QLD, TAS, ACT, NT, SA and now WA are now open from 8am until 6pm local time today.

It has just ticked over to 8am in Western Australia.

Everyone in Australia can now cast their vote.

If you are in the queue at 6pm local time this evening, you will be able to cast your ballot.

Voting in the 2025 federal election is compulsory for the 18.1 million people on the electoral roll.

Any eligible voter who doesn’t cast a vote will receive a non-voter notice and may have to pay a fine, not to mention missing out on having their say in the election, the AEC warns.

Zoe Daniel arrived at the Hampton Primary School polling booth, voting with her 18-year-old son.

Goldstein became a teal seat at the last election after Ms Daniel out-polled Liberal member Tim Wilson.

She said it had been a gruelling campaign.

“But we’ve been out on the booths, fantastic vibes, particularly the last couple of days as more people have flooded in to vote.

 “Those last conversations need to be had today so I’ll be hitting, I think, 24 booths, today.”

Tim Wilson is running again today.

ABC Reporter Arianna Levy caught up with Jim Chalmers as he went to cast his ballot in today’s federal election in his seat of Rankine.

The seat is held on a margin of 9.1 per cent, and is considered fairly safe.

Ahead of today’s vote, the treasurer said Labor were not taking any votes for granted.

“Always nervous on Election Day, but it is great to be in our local hood with all these people who are getting their vote done nice and early,” Treasurer Jim Chalmers said.

Loading…

We’re here to help you find your most convenient polling place. You can use the Australian Electoral Commission has a tool, just enter your suburb or postcode to get a list or a map of all the polling places nearest you.

And if you’re interested in laying your hands on a democracy sausage – or cupcake or bacon and egg roll for that matter! – you can check out Democracy Sausage which maps out which polling places have sausage sizzles and other food-based fundraisers.

Craig was the first out of the blocks in Port Lincoln, on South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula.

He’d intended to vote prior to election day but was thwarted by the unprecedented early vote – the AEC confirmed this morning around 8.5 million people voted early this year, including by pre-poll and postal vote.

“I came down yesterday but the queue was ridiculous, everyone had the same idea apparently, so I didn’t worry about it,” Craig said.

“I was up early today dropping my wife off somewhere, so I thought I’d go and get it out of the way.

“I was actually there to witness the ballot box being opened … I didn’t realise I was so organised.”

Speaking to News Breakfast live from the MCG, PM Anthony Albanese gave plenty of sport puns.

He started off by saying “it’s time-on in the fourth quarter.”

Loading…

“I’m feeling pretty good. I’ve left nothing on the field.

“And that’s why we thought it was appropriate to do crosses from here (MCG).

“I’ll leave nothing on the field if I have the great honour of being re-elected as Australia’s prime minister.”

He added that his political “holy grail” is “back to back wins.”

Peter Dutton has moved onto another café, this time in Brighton in the seat of Goldstein where former MP Tim Wilson is hoping to win his seat back off teal independent Zoe Daniel.

This time Mr Dutton has joined a young family and opted for what looks like a cup of tea.

He was asked whether he’d help reduce the family’s $200-a-day childcare cost for their two-year-old boy.

“It makes it prohibitive … for some people,” Mr Dutton agreed.

They also discussed small business struggles, fuel costs and local youth and bikie crime.

He later told the media the election gave Australians the chance to get the country back on track.

“There is a lot of pain out in the community. A lot of people are really hurting and Australians can’t afford three more years of Labor.”

Greens leader Adam Bandt is handing out how to vote cards at a polling booth in the inner city seat of Wills on a chilly morning in Melbourne.

The seat is being contested by Greens candidate Samantha Ratnam, who used to be the party’s Victorian leader in state parliament.

 Mr Bandt says the Greens are up in all the latest polls.

 “More people realise that we can’t keep voting for the same two parties and expect a different result.”

 He spruiked the Greens’ policies for first home buyers, on the cost of living crisis and climate and getting dental into Medicare.

 “With more Greens in Parliament, including here in Wills, we have a real chance of getting the government to take the action that is needed.”

You can watch Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s interview with ABC’s Weekend Breakfast.

The prime minister said it was “not surprising” that the Kremlin targeted him during the election campaign.

Loading…

Still not sure who to vote for? It’s worth thinking about what the major parties are promising to do if they win.

Labor and the Coalition have announced policies about a whole range of different issues including the cost of living, housing, childcare, migration and climate.

ABC News politics reporter Jake Evans has laid out the key commitments from the two major parties so you can find out where they stand on the issues most important to you.

Polling places are open from 8am local time today.

Technically, voting has been taking place since April 22 when early voting opened at many polling places around Australia.

Around 8.5 million people have already voted, either by pre-poll or postal votes, before polling day.

Anthony Albanese joined ABC’s Weekend Breakfast to discuss the allegations that a pro-Russian website was attempting to influence the federal election.

The ABC’s national technology reporter Ange Lavoipierre has revealed a largely automated pro-Russian news website has been used to “launder” propaganda on Australian topics in the lead-up to the federal election.

“[Russia] engage in all sorts of activity. They harbour criminal organisations that engage in that,” the prime minister told ABC Weekend Breakfast.

“It’s not surprising that they would reach out and attack myself personally, given the strength that we’ve shown in standing up to them,” he said.

Peter Dutton is hoping to defy history today and become the first opposition leader to unseat a first-term government since the Great Depression.

After a gruelling five-week campaign, that included policy backflips and some missteps, Dutton insists the Coalition can still convince voters for change.

He spent yesterday campaigning across the country, starting in Adelaide, then in Perth’s outer-suburbs.

In the last days on the trail, the opposition leader framed the contest as a referendum not on the campaign but on the Albanese government.

Around 8.5 million people have already voted, either by pre-poll or postal votes, and today Australians will make their judgment.

Dutton is expected to vote in his own electorate of Dickson, which is the most marginal seat in Queensland.

Voting is only part of the election day experience — for many it’s not complete without a sausage sizzle.

So, how did Australia’s love affair with a sausage sizzle on election day start?

7.30’s Emily Jane Smith explored the history of the democracy sausage.

Loading…

Anthony Albanese is seeking to make history tonight by becoming the first prime minister since 2004 to win consecutive elections.

The latest Newspoll published in The Australian will give Albanese reason to be optimistic, putting Labor ahead of the Coalition 52.5 – 47.5 per cent, after preferences.

Every major published opinion poll is now pointing to a Labor victory, but they vary as to whether the party will pick up enough seats to form a majority.

“Obviously I want a majority government, I want people to vote number one for the Labor Party,” he told the ABC.

“That gives the country the stability the country needs in these uncertain times.’

Albanese will begin his day in Melbourne before returning to his Sydney to vote in seat of Grayndler alongside his fiancé Jodie and dog Toto in tow.

He’s spent the past 72 hours crisscrossing the country, visiting a slew of seats in five states and meeting as many voters as possible in his campaign to convince Australians to give him three more years in power.

If they do, he would become the first prime minister since John Howard to lead his party to consecutive election victories.

If it’s your first time voting (or you’ve forgotten how you did it three years ago – it’s ok, I feel you.) Here’s a refresher on how to fill out the ballot paper.

You actually get two ballots: a small green one for the House of Representatives (aka lower house) and a big white one for the Senate (aka upper house).

To fill out the small green one for the lower house you need to number all the boxes in order of your preference.

For the big, white, upper house ballot you have two options: you can number at least six boxes above the line in order of your preference OR you can number at least 12 boxes below the line.

Don’t stress if you make a mistake, you can always ask for a fresh ballot.

Once you’ve filled them out put them in the ballot boxes for the relevant house.

And that’s it you’re done! Reward yourself with a democracy sausage my friend.

Loading…

Good morning and happy democracy sausage day!

The federal election is today, and polling stations will be open from 8am local time.

So far, we’ve had record numbers of early voters with about 6.73 million people casting their ballots on pre-poll.

Meanwhile, about 1.6 million postal votes have been received and returned.