Federal Election 2025: Early Voting Opens April 22 Across Australia

The federal election is coming up on May 3; however, Australians don't have to wait until then to cast their vote, as early voting opens on Tuesday, April 22 -- right after Easter break.

According to Australian law, early voting can only begin up to 12 days before election day. After Easter, thousands of early voting centers will open across the country.

Who can vote early?

People can vote early if they meet any of these conditions:

• They will be travelling
• They are not in the area where they are registered to vote
• They are more than 8km away from a polling place
• They are working and can't leave to vote
• They are sick or in the hospital
• They are close to giving birth
• They have religious reasons and can't vote on May 3
• They are in prison
• They are worried about their safety
• They are a silent elector (their address is kept private)

Where to find an early voting centre

On the AEC website, voters can enter their postcode to see a list of early voting centers nearby. For example, entering postcode 2000 (Sydney) shows 12 early voting locations close to that area. Most centers are open from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and work just like regular voting booths.

Applying for a postal vote

People who want to vote by post must apply before 6:00 p.m. on April 30. The application can be done online. Once the voter receives the postal voting pack, they can fill it out and mail it back as soon as possible. Postal voters also have the option to vote on election day, May 3, if they prefer.

Applying for a telephone voting

Voters who are blind or have low vision can use the AEC's telephone voting service to vote early. This service starts on April 22 and is only available to those who meet specific eligibility rules. Australians living in Antarctica can also vote using this method.

​During the Australian federal election, voters will elect all 150 members of the House of Representatives and 40 of the 76 Senate seats.