Now that the electoral roll has closed, Thursday is the next key date for the federal election.
Changes and additions to the roll closed 8pm Monday and now anyone intending to stand for parliament must lodge their nominations by noon on Thursday, April 21.
Following that, the Australian Electoral Commission will publicly announce nominations 24 hours after nominations close, at noon on Friday, April 22 after the ballot draw is held.
While the election day is May 21, elections are becoming less and less about a single day and more about a prolonged voting period, due to the rise of pre-poll voting.
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Early voting starts 12 days before polling day - so Monday, May 9 this time.
It's available, either in person or by post, for people who on election day will be outside the electorate where they are enrolled; will be more than 8km from a polling place or travelling; will be unable to leave their workplace to vote; or who are seriously ill, infirm, due to give birth or are in hospital where they can't vote, among other reasons.
More Australians than ever cast their vote prior to election day in the 2019 poll. The record may be broken again in 2022.
There will be a range of COVID-19 safety measures at polling places, which include the requirement for election staff to be vaccinated and to wear a face mask. There will also be physical distancing and using hand sanitiser which may slow down the process.
Electors are welcome to bring their own pen or pencil to mark their ballot. Pencils will be provided and will be sanitised between use.
When will we know the election result?
It depends how close the result is. If it's tight, and full of close-fought battles in marginal seats, it's possible the nation won't know the final result for more than a week. For some divisions the wait could be a week or more after the election.
If there's a hung parliament - when no party wins enough seats to form a government on its own - there could also be weeks of negotiations as the major parties try to convince crossbenchers to support them in a minority government.
Usually in recent elections, with the exception of 2010 when the parliament was hung, and 2016 when there was initially no clear winner, the result has been known the night of polling day.
Derek Barry
Editor of the North West Star Mount Isa since January 2016. Prior to that, an editor at several regional southern Queensland newspapers. Passionate about telling local stories. Comes with a strange accent to due an Irish accident of birth.
Editor of the North West Star Mount Isa since January 2016. Prior to that, an editor at several regional southern Queensland newspapers. Passionate about telling local stories. Comes with a strange accent to due an Irish accident of birth.
