Australians vote in election with high prices, shortage of housing major issues

Australia's general election coverage, including candidates, key issues, and potential outcomes, with a focus on voting trends and demographics.

Australians voted in Australia’s general election on Saturday (May 3, 2025) as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his rival Peter Dutton continued campaigning along the east coast.

Voting will continue until 6 p.m.

Both Mr. Albanese and Mr. Dutton, who is opposition leader, began Saturday (May 3, 2025) in the electorally crucial city of Melbourne. Mr. Albanese will return home to Sydney to vote and Mr. Dutton will head to his hometown of Brisbane.

Mr. Dutton wants to become the first political leader to oust a first-term government since 1931, when Australians were reeling from the Great Depression.

Asked if he believed his conservative coalition could win the election, Mr. Dutton told reporters in Melbourne: “Absolutely, I do.”

“There are a lot of quiet Australians out there who may not be telling their neighbors how they’re voting but I think they’re going to go into the polling booth and say: You know what, I’m not going to reward Anthony Albanese for the last three years,” Mr. Dutton told Australian Broadcasting Corp.

Mr. Albanese was measured about his center-left Labor Party's chances of securing a second three-year term.