Record-Breaking Start to Early Voting as Over 540,000 Australians Head to the Polls
Australia’s 2025 federal election has kicked off with a record-breaking start, as 542,141 people cast their ballots on the first day of early voting — a 72 per cent increase on the opening day of the 2022 campaign.
The figure, released by the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC), smashes the previous record of 314,346 votes cast on day one of early voting in 2022. This year’s pre-poll period officially began Tuesday and runs until May 3, election day.
In Western Australia, the trend was even more pronounced, with 59,000 votes lodged on the first day — up 115 per cent compared to the same point in the previous election cycle.
The AEC acknowledged the strong turnout led to queues at some polling booths and urged voters to plan ahead.
“If you can come on [voting] day, please do that. If you can’t, plan your vote — there is a full two-week period,” an AEC spokesperson said on social media.
Although early voting remains popular, the 2022 figures were also inflated by COVID-related extensions and health measures. This year, voting will be briefly interrupted by the Easter and Anzac Day long weekends, but turnout is still expected to rival or exceed that of three years ago — when over half of voters cast their ballots early or by post.
The rise in pre-polling is forcing political parties to rethink campaign strategies, particularly around the timing of major policy announcements. On Wednesday, the Coalition unveiled a $21 billion defence spending plan, but with over half a million voters already having cast their ballots, its immediate impact may be limited.
