Home » When Will the Next Federal Election Be Held in Australia? Key Dates and Speculation

When Will the Next Federal Election Be Held in Australia? Key Dates and Speculation

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Next Federal Election Australia : Australians are set to head to the polls for the upcoming federal election within the next four months, though the exact date remains undecided.

Throughout the latter half of the Labor government’s term, speculation about an early election has come and gone, with a mid-April vote now emerging as the most likely scenario.

Here’s what we know about when Prime Minister Anthony Albanese can and is likely to call the election.

Next Federal Election Australia :When is the latest the federal election can be held?

The Constitution outlines a series of requirements that determine when an election must take place.

House of Representatives terms last for three years, and an election for the house must be held within 68 days after the term expires.

This time, the terms expire on July 25, 2025, with the final Saturday within the subsequent 68-day period falling on September 27.

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However, we’ll head to the ballot box well before then due to the Senate’s timeline.

Half of all senators’ terms will end on June 30, 2025, requiring an election for those seats to take place in the preceding year.

Taking into account the logistical and procedural considerations around swearing in, along with the tradition of holding House of Representatives and half-Senate elections together, the latest possible date for the next federal election is May 17, 2025.

What about a double dissolution election?

In September, Albanese fueled speculation about a potential double dissolution, but the likelihood of it happening now is virtually nonexistent.

A double dissolution election occurs when both houses of parliament are dissolved, resulting in all seats being contested (unlike regular elections, where only half the Senate faces re-election). This can happen when a piece of legislation is repeatedly rejected.

The deadline for dissolving both houses this term is January 24, which would set the election date between February 22 and March 29.

However, on the final sitting day of 2024, the government successfully passed a significant amount of legislation through the Senate, effectively eliminating any triggers for a double dissolution.

It’s also worth mentioning that double dissolution elections are rare. While the most recent occurred in 2016, only six have been called in Australian history.

What has the government said?

Albanese has mostly focused on his support for longer parliamentary terms rather than discussing the possibility of an early election.

“It’s the media that seems obsessed with election dates. I’ve read speculation about it being in August, September, November, and even December 7—probably passed by now,” Albanese remarked in November.

“I support four-year terms and wish we had fixed four-year terms so this fixation on election dates, which starts midway through a term, wouldn’t persist.”

There has also been speculation that an election might be called before parliament resumes in early February 2025, but Albanese has confirmed that both houses will sit again.

If parliament completes its first full sitting period of the year, scheduled from February 4–13, it means the prime minister wouldn’t call the election until mid-February at the earliest.

Alternatively, Albanese might wait until after the Western Australian election on March 8 to announce the federal election.

Both options open the door for a mid-April election while avoiding the need for a pre-election budget on March 25, which is almost certain to show a deficit this year.

However, if the prime minister chooses to wait until after the WA election and wants to avoid overlapping the federal campaign with Easter and Anzac Day, his only option would be to call the election on April 12.

This is because there must be at least 33 days between calling an election and holding it.

In late January, Albanese was questioned about the possibility of an April 12 election but remained non-committal.

“Well, May 17 is when the election will be, or before… good try there, I’ll give you points for effort,” he said.

On the same day, Treasurer Jim Chalmers also avoided confirming whether there would be an early budget ahead of the election.

“We’re working on the budget, and the timing of the election will be up to the prime minister,” he said.

The government’s policy to reduce student debt has also been interpreted as a hint about the election timing.

Albanese stated the plan would take effect on June 1, 2025, and would be the first piece of legislation introduced by Labor if it wins the election—a tight deadline unless the election is held early or the laws are backdated.

However, Health Minister Mark Butler cautioned against interpreting this as a sign of an early election.

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“You can all speculate about election timing,” he said.

“I’m sure there will be plenty of that in the weeks and months ahead as we approach the next election. I’m not going to contribute to it.

“I believe the prime minister’s statement this morning simply highlights our commitment to easing financial pressure on young Australians.”

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