Australia Federal Election: Voting Begins As Opinion Polls Show Labor Party In Lead

Millions of Australians will cast their votes today in the federal election. The race for the country's next prime minister is between the Labor Party's Anthony Albanese and opposition leader Peter Dutton from the conservative Liberal-National coalition. Pre-election opinion polls reportedly favour the ruling Labor Party.

Incumbent PM Anthony Albanese is seeking to become Australia's first leader in two decades to win consecutive elections. However, the Labor Party leader has come under pressure in recent times over his handling of various topics like the housing crisis. The country has also experienced a significant increase in the cost of living due to inflation in recent years. Voters are also likely to consider other factors, including US President Donald Trump's tariffs and the trade war between the US and China.

In Australia, the Prime Minister is the leader of the party that secures the majority of seats in the House of Representatives, as there is no individual vote for PM candidates. It is worth mentioning that compulsory voting has been in place in Australia for citizens aged 18+ since 1924, and failure to vote will result in a fine of $13. As per the data, the 2022 federal election had a turnout of roughly 90% of eligible voters.