It's not all kissing babies and hugging pensioners. Check out the key moments of the 2010 federal election campaign.
July 17: PM Julia Gillard calls a federal election, less than a month after ousting Kevin Rudd as leader of the Labor Party.
July 19: Electoral writs are issued. According to the 2006 amendment to the Electoral Act, first-time voters have until 8pm on the day the writs are issued to join the electoral roll.
July 26: Tony Abbott and Julia Gillard clash in the one and only election debate. The audience reaction 'worm' shows a clear delineation between men and women, with the latter generally preferring the Labor leader.
July 27: Activist organisation GetUp brings a constitutional challenge against the 2006 Electoral Act amendment to the High Court. The case questions the closure of electoral rolls the day an election writ is issued. Prior to the amendment, voters had seven days from the issuing of the writs to join the roll.
July 28: Cabinet leaks accuse Julia Gillard of opposing paid parental leave, and questioning the size of a pension rise. The revelations are damaging for the Labor leader, whose popularity slides. The claims also expose divisions in the Labor camp following the departure of Kevin Rudd.
July 30: Former party leader and PM Kevin Rudd rushed to hospital for gallbladder surgery. A few days after the procedure, Mr Rudd resumes campaigning in his electorate, Griffith.
August 2: Labor leader Julia Gillard admits her election campaign has been too stage managed, and promises to offer voters the "real Julia". The ploy seems to backfire as the election campaign progresses, with voters and commentators alike noting little difference in either the Labor campaign or Julia Gillard's performance.
August 4: Former PM Kevin Rudd and outgoing senior ALP MP Lindsay Tanner both deny being the source of damaging cabinet leaks. Mr Rudd also comes out in support of Labor and Julia Gillard, saying the country cannot risk electing Tony Abbott.
August 6: GetUp wins constitutional challenge against the 2006 Electoral Act amendment, meaning 100,000 people previously excluded from the electoral roll are able to vote in the August 21 poll.
August 8: Queensland Family First candidate Wendy Francis causes a stir on social networking site Twitter after comparing gay child rearing with child abuse. The message was deleted shortly afterwards, and Ms Francis subsequently apologised for her comments.
August 10: The Sydney Morning Herald publishes an article on a leaked Treasury report showing the Coalition has an $800 million budget black hole. The article provokes an angry reaction from the senior Coalition figures, who pledge not to submit costing to Treasury until the source of the leak is found.
- Victorian State President of One Nation, John Groves, promotes gay bashing in a Twitter message supporting Family First candidate Wendy Francis's anti-gay parenting comments. Mr Groves promptly makes his Twitter account private, and therefore inaccessible to the general public.
August 11: Tony Abbott appears to win over undecided voters at the first people's forum meeting at Rooty Hill RSL in western Sydney. The comments and questions directed to Labor leader Julia Gillard show the electorate still has major concerns over the sacking of Kevin Rudd.
August 13: GetUp wins its second major court challenge, this time allowing voters to enrol to vote online. Though it was too late to implement the ruling before the August 21 poll date, advocates are hopeful online enrolment will be available in time for the November Victorian state election.
August 15: After days of stalking senior politicians, Mark Latham appears on Channel Nine's 60 Minutes program, and tells the public he will leave his ballot paper blank on August 21.
August 18: The Coalition reveals its budget figures, after refusing to have the costings checked by Treasury due to an earlier leak of a confidential document. Instead, the numbers are checked by private accounting firm WHK Horwarth. The Coalition reveals it will deliver a budget surplus of over $6.1 billion, significantly reducing the nation's debt.
- Tony Abbott and Julia Gillard front their second people's forum meeting, this time in Brisbane's western suburbs. While neither leader revealed any new policies, commentators note the Labor leader appears more relaxed and confident than at other recent public appearances.
August 20: The last Newspoll before polling day shows Labor and the Coalition locked together at 50 per cent each of the two party preferred vote. The poll also shows record support for the Greens.
