Federal election 2025 LIVE updates: Polls open in Australia's eastern states as Albanese eyes three terms; Dutton predicts close race
Key posts
10.11am Scott Yung casts vote, dodges Brethren question
9.25am 'Vote for the other guy': US TikToker after Libs block him
8.33am Liberals kick MP's mum out of party
8.14am What have you seen at the polls?
8.07am How to make your vote count
8.00am Voting opens in eastern states
7.49am Brethren asked to place and guard Coalition signs
7.14am Dutton predicts close election, speaks of antisemitism
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What have you seen at the polls?
By Nick Newling
As voters flock to the polls, and run the gauntlet of volunteers armed with how-to-vote cards, we want to hear from you.
Had the best democracy sausage of your life? Waiting in an extraordinarily long line? Seen something that doesn't seem quite right?
Let us know below.
10.32am
'We've never held on to Bennelong': Laxale
By Penry Buckley
Back in the marginal north Sydney seat of Bennelong, incumbent Labor MP Jerome Laxale has voted at Denistone East Public School, where he has been supported by Minister for Emergency Management Jenny McAllister.
Speaking to this masthead, Laxale admitted the race in NSW's most marginal seat was close.
'We've never held onto Bennelong. History is not on our side, so we need to make history today, and we'll go right up until six o'clock.'
Asked whether reports earlier this week that his father Alain had made homophobic comments at a pre-polling station had hurt his campaign in the crucial final stretch, Laxale said: 'We'll see what happens.'
'We've been really focusing on cost of living and housing locally here … my dad regrets what he said, and he's very apologetic, and we'll move on from that.'
10.21am
What you're seeing at the booths
By Anthony Segaert
Earlier this morning we asked for information on the vibe at your voting booth, and, crucially, information about the baked goods on offer. Here's what a few of you are reporting:
'Good vibes and typical Aussie politeness. Volunteers from across the spectrum sharing coffee and snacks.'
'$2 chocolate crackle that was undersized and clearly overpriced. Hands down the best day on the calendar. How lucky are we!!'
'Lewisham Public School has an excellent bake stall, democracy sausage and gorgeous plants and flowers for sale.'
'WAY too many corflutes from [the] Liberal Party plastered across Parramatta electorate. Outrageous quantities never seen before!'
Tell us what you're seeing at your booth via the box below:
10.11am
Scott Yung casts vote, dodges Brethren question
By Penry Buckley
Liberal challenger Scott Yung has cast his vote in the north Sydney marginal seat of Bennelong, refusing to say whether any of his volunteers at a northern suburbs polling place were members of the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church.
It was revealed on Monday that the group formerly known as the Exclusive Brethren sent hundreds of its members to pre-polling booths in marginal seats while instructing them to keep secret that they were members of the controversial religion. The Coalition has denied it has any agreement with the Brethren.
This masthead counted about 20 Liberal volunteers at Eastwood Public School, outnumbering volunteers for incumbent Labor MP Jerome Laxale by around four to one.
Asked whether any of the Liberal volunteers were members of the group, Yung would not say. 'I think it's in everyone's right to participate in Australia's democracy,' he said. The interview with this masthead was ended by Yung's campaign when the question was asked again.
Yung also addressed several potentially damaging media reports about his campaign, including in relation to financial disclosures. 'I respect what the media does, and I'll continue to respect that, but can I just say that Labor has run a smear campaign against me.'
10.10am
Long lines for polls and sausages in Melbourne
By Sophie Aubrey
Voters are in for a long wait before they get their democracy sausage at Saint Ignatius Church Hall in the Melbourne electorate of Richmond.
The line is snaking around the grounds, and some electors are reporting having waited between 45 and 60 minutes — a lot longer than usual for a pre-9am arrival. Several people turned around and gave up when they saw the line.
Brooke Pendergast is at the back of the queue with partner Jack Smith when she tells us she's a bit worried about how long she will be waiting.
'I'm thinking I should have eaten first,' she says.
South Yarra Library is reporting a one-hour wait, while the Docklands booth is more than an hour. At least the weather is on our side today.
10.07am
Tony Abbott supports Scott Yung in Bennelong
By Penry Buckley
Back at Eastwood Public School in the north Sydney electorate of Bennelong, former prime minister Tony Abbott has come out to support Liberal challenger Scott Yung.
After a redistribution last year, the seat has moved closer to the boundaries it had when former prime minister John Howard was first elected to it in 1974, but it remains a battleground seat, with an estimated 0.04 per cent margin in favour of Yung.
'I don't want to speculate on demographic trends, redistributions or anything like that, I just think that Peter Dutton has done well to appeal a broad cross-section of Australians,' said Abbott.
Yung's campaign has been the subject of several potentially damaging reports, including in relation to campaign finance disclosures. Abbott said he didn't think the reports would hurt Yung's chances.
'I think he's answered them very effectively - it's all a lot of beltway bubble stuff.'
10.04am
PM makes quick visit to Menzies
Albanese has made a lightning visit to Menzies – a Melbourne electorate named after the Liberal Party's first prime minister, Robert Menzies.
The electorate is held by one of the Liberal Party's leading moderates, Keith Wolahan, but is a marginal Labor seat on a 0.4 per cent margin after the most recent changes to electoral boundaries.
Albanese was joined by local Labor candidate Gabriel Ng, who is hoping to unseat Wolahan from the well-heeled electorate in a continuation of the fall of Liberal incumbents from seats such as Goldstein, Kooyong, Warringah and Curtin at the last election.
In contrast to several of Albanese's recent polling-booth appearances, this morning's visit at Kerrimuir Primary School was relatively positive and subdued.
'Thanks for participating in democracy,' Albanese said to Liberal volunteers, while greeting excited voters and Labor volunteers.
10.01am
Former AFL star hopes to unseat Adam Bandt
By Sophie Aubrey
We just caught up with one of the more surprising Melbourne electorate candidates, Anthony 'Kouta' Koutoufides, offering flyers outside the polling station at St Ignatius Church Hall in Richmond.
The former AFL star turned political hopeful is preferencing the Liberals before Labor, with the Greens last. (The seat is held by Greens leader Adam Bandt.)
Koutoufides said he hadn't thought much about the preference strategy because he had left it to his team. Rather, his ambition was to win.
The candidate got a taste for politics when he made a tilt at Melbourne's lord mayor position last year, placing fourth in the race.
'I think I ran a really good campaign my first time ever going into politics,' he says. 'I believe I can help … a lot of businesses are struggling and safety and cost of living are a problem.'
9.54am
In pictures: Albanese at the MCG
The prime minister kicked off election day at the MCG. Here are some pictures.
9.51am
Inner Melbourne voters facing 90-minute wait at polling booth
By Ashleigh McMillan
Melbourne's election early birds have been served up a worm of sorts – a long, snaking polling booth line with a wait of 1½ hours.
Voters who arrived at The District shopping centre in Docklands, immediately west of Melbourne's CBD, were told they would have to stand in line for at least 90 minutes on Saturday morning. Older voters and people with access issues were whisked to the front of the line.
Some voters told this masthead they wouldn't bother lining up at Docklands and would go 'vote in the suburbs' later today – but not before snagging a democracy sausage on the way out.
Access to polling booths near the Melbourne CBD has been a hot topic in the dying days of the campaign. Lord Mayor Nicholas Reece slammed the lack of pre-poll venues in the city's centre as 'baffling' and 'undemocratic' earlier this week.
The Australian Electoral Commission returned serve, blaming the council and accusing it of failing to help it secure suitable venues.
9.47am
Tu Le casts vote in Fowler
By Kayla Olaya
At Bossley Park Public School in Sydney's south-west, the Labor challenger for the seat of Fowler, Tu Le, is doing something unorthodox: casting her vote on election day.
The tradition that sees politicians vote in front of both their constituents and the media in a bid to show off their part in the democratic process, has somehow become a rarity. At least with the south-west Sydney pollies.
Incumbent MP for Fowler Dai Le, alongside Jason Clare, Tony Burke and their independent challengers, have all voted before election day.
Tu Le was surprised other politicians weren't casting a vote today like her, as she voted surrounded by her husband and two kids, including a newborn baby, in the booths.
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The governor could approve Mr Rockliff's request or ask the Liberals to find another leader who could potentially be premier with the support of the crossbench. Labor opposition leader Dean Winter has ruled out trying to govern in an alliance with the Greens, who have offered an olive branch. "This will be an election about three things," Mr Winter said. "The broken budget, Jeremy Rockliff's plan to privatise assets and his (role) in the Spirit of Tasmania (ferry) fiasco." Both major parties support construction of a $945 million waterfront stadium in Hobart, a condition of the Tasmania Devils entering the AFL in 2028. Several anti-stadium crossbench MPs and the Greens have co-signed a letter to AFL boss Andrew Dillon, asking for a meeting to discuss renegotiating the contract. The AFL and Liberals, who signed the licence, have maintained the deal is the deal. "The AFL's continued position is that (the Macquarie Point stadium) is a condition for the grant of the 19th licence," a league spokesman said. The Devils are concerned an election could delay approval processes for the stadium, potentially putting the licence at risk. The stadium also looms as a major election issue, with February polling showing almost 60 per cent of Tasmanians don't support the project. It could turn voters away from the two major parties. The Liberals suffered a 12 per cent swing against them at the March 2024 election, but managed to form government with just 14 of 35 lower-house seats. Labor, which holds 10 seats, picked up a minuscule swing of 0.8 per cent. Tasmania's Liberals are "absolutely" behind their leader and minority premier, who is poised to ask for a snap election after losing the support of parliament. The island state's parliament will sit on Tuesday to pass an emergency bill to ensure government workers keep getting paid. Premier Jeremy Rockliff is then expected to visit the governor and request an election, just 15 months after Tasmanians went to the polls. Mr Rockliff narrowly lost a no-confidence motion on Thursday, but has refused to step down from the position he has held since 2022. "We are absolutely behind Jeremy Rockliff," government minister Felix Ellis told reporters on Monday. "He is a man of experience, strength and compassion who has served the community for decades. We back him in wholeheartedly." Battlelines have already been drawn for an election - set to be the state's fourth in seven years - with ousted Liberal federal MP Bridget Archer to run for the party in the seat of Bass. The Liberals have dumped a plan to investigate state asset sales. Labor has declared it wants to bring delayed new Bass Strait ferries to Tasmania from Europe as soon as possible. The governor could approve Mr Rockliff's request or ask the Liberals to find another leader who could potentially be premier with the support of the crossbench. Labor opposition leader Dean Winter has ruled out trying to govern in an alliance with the Greens, who have offered an olive branch. "This will be an election about three things," Mr Winter said. "The broken budget, Jeremy Rockliff's plan to privatise assets and his (role) in the Spirit of Tasmania (ferry) fiasco." Both major parties support construction of a $945 million waterfront stadium in Hobart, a condition of the Tasmania Devils entering the AFL in 2028. Several anti-stadium crossbench MPs and the Greens have co-signed a letter to AFL boss Andrew Dillon, asking for a meeting to discuss renegotiating the contract. The AFL and Liberals, who signed the licence, have maintained the deal is the deal. "The AFL's continued position is that (the Macquarie Point stadium) is a condition for the grant of the 19th licence," a league spokesman said. The Devils are concerned an election could delay approval processes for the stadium, potentially putting the licence at risk. The stadium also looms as a major election issue, with February polling showing almost 60 per cent of Tasmanians don't support the project. It could turn voters away from the two major parties. The Liberals suffered a 12 per cent swing against them at the March 2024 election, but managed to form government with just 14 of 35 lower-house seats. Labor, which holds 10 seats, picked up a minuscule swing of 0.8 per cent. Tasmania's Liberals are "absolutely" behind their leader and minority premier, who is poised to ask for a snap election after losing the support of parliament. The island state's parliament will sit on Tuesday to pass an emergency bill to ensure government workers keep getting paid. Premier Jeremy Rockliff is then expected to visit the governor and request an election, just 15 months after Tasmanians went to the polls. Mr Rockliff narrowly lost a no-confidence motion on Thursday, but has refused to step down from the position he has held since 2022. "We are absolutely behind Jeremy Rockliff," government minister Felix Ellis told reporters on Monday. "He is a man of experience, strength and compassion who has served the community for decades. We back him in wholeheartedly." Battlelines have already been drawn for an election - set to be the state's fourth in seven years - with ousted Liberal federal MP Bridget Archer to run for the party in the seat of Bass. The Liberals have dumped a plan to investigate state asset sales. Labor has declared it wants to bring delayed new Bass Strait ferries to Tasmania from Europe as soon as possible. The governor could approve Mr Rockliff's request or ask the Liberals to find another leader who could potentially be premier with the support of the crossbench. Labor opposition leader Dean Winter has ruled out trying to govern in an alliance with the Greens, who have offered an olive branch. "This will be an election about three things," Mr Winter said. "The broken budget, Jeremy Rockliff's plan to privatise assets and his (role) in the Spirit of Tasmania (ferry) fiasco." Both major parties support construction of a $945 million waterfront stadium in Hobart, a condition of the Tasmania Devils entering the AFL in 2028. Several anti-stadium crossbench MPs and the Greens have co-signed a letter to AFL boss Andrew Dillon, asking for a meeting to discuss renegotiating the contract. The AFL and Liberals, who signed the licence, have maintained the deal is the deal. "The AFL's continued position is that (the Macquarie Point stadium) is a condition for the grant of the 19th licence," a league spokesman said. The Devils are concerned an election could delay approval processes for the stadium, potentially putting the licence at risk. The stadium also looms as a major election issue, with February polling showing almost 60 per cent of Tasmanians don't support the project. It could turn voters away from the two major parties. The Liberals suffered a 12 per cent swing against them at the March 2024 election, but managed to form government with just 14 of 35 lower-house seats. Labor, which holds 10 seats, picked up a minuscule swing of 0.8 per cent.
