Anthony Albanese and Labor win the federal election as Peter Dutton loses his seat — as it happened

James McGrath, a LNP Senator for Queensland, told the ABC that too many seats will be too close to call "by the time everybody goes to bed".

He told the broadcaster: "There is a high soft vote out there still and there are a number of unique and different contests across the country.

"We are proud to be actually competitive in this election.

"It's rare for governments to lose after one term ... 90 years ago was the last time, so we'll not just be beating Anthony Albanese but we'll be beating history if we get there tonight."

— Alex Britton

The polls have closed and federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers said: "There's nothing left to be done."

Speaking on the ABC, he said: "I think is almost universally accepted that the worst place to be a politician is between 6pm and about 7.30pm on election night."

"You're in the hands of the people, as it should be.

"For us, I think the key will be: we're playing defence in a lot of places, but whether we can limit our losses in Victoria, in particular, and if there are losses of seats, whether we can make up for them, primarily in Queensland.

"I think there will be seats changing hands in both directions tonight."

— Alex Britton

Polls have closed on the east coast of Australia for the 2025 federal election.

Those still in line to have their say can in NSW, Victoria, Queensland, Tasmania and the ACT, but the count will shortly begin.

Around nine million Australians are expected to have cast their votes today, with close to half of those registered to vote voting early.

More than 6.5 million people cast a pre-poll vote, with 1.6 million postal votes returned to the Australian Electoral Commission so far.

South Australian and Northern Territory booths will close at 6.30pm AEST, with the Western Australian polls to close at 8pm AEST, or 6pm local.

— Alex Britton

Twenty-one-year-old Samuel Watt ran across the school yard shouting "go Greens" as he rushed to cast his vote after work.

He says silence from the major parties around violence against women made it an easy choice.

"One particular party is focused on that. Others haven't even spoken about it," he told SBS News.

Samuel says the major parties' silence on violence against women has shifted his vote. Credit: SBS / Ewa Staszewska

"So I'm going with that party: the Greens."

The Greens' $15 billion package includes a $1 billion annual investment in frontline response services, housing and recovery programs over the next 12 years.

While the major parties have also made domestic and family violence campaign promises, they've been criticised by advocates as incommensurate with the scale of the crisis.

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The 'national crisis' costing billions that's 'barely registered' in the election campaign

— Ewa Staszewska

A feeling of being forgotten by Canberra has influenced the votes of many Territorians.

In the seat of Solomon, which encompasses Darwin and the nearby satellite city of Palmerston, crime has been top of mind following the recent alleged stabbing murder of a 71-year-old shopkeeper.

Voter Maria Ioannou says the federal government has a role to play to tackle crime issues.

"I totally believe that it's not just up to the NT itself — the federal government can play an important part, we need their support."

Maria Ioannou (right) says she wants to see a tougher stance on crime. Source: SBS / Josh van Staden

The seat of Solomon has for the first time a Climate 200-backed independent candidate, Phil Scott.

Speaking to SBS in Palmerston, Scott says people are hungry for change.

"We've looked to change the narrative … people are really tired of mediocre decision-making."

The flow of independent candidate Phill Scott's preferences is widely tipped to help Labor. Source: SBS / Josh van Staden

Solomon is considered a fairly safe Labor seat with a margin of 9.37 per cent.

The Country Liberal Party, which is part of the federal Coalition, is hoping success at last year's territory election will play in the mind of voters this time around.

Even CLP corflutes for its Solomon candidate Lisa Bayliss feature Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro.

Opposition leader Peter Dutton recently visited Darwin and pledged to work with the Northern Territory government to tackle youth crime.

— Josh van Staden

The ongoing conflict in Gaza is swaying some voters in Wentworth.

Sayed is voting for the Greens for the first time as he feels "disappointed" by the lack of response from the major parties.

"The main reason is both Labor and Liberals, they turned a blind eye towards genocide in Palestine, in Gaza especially," he told SBS News.

Labor's response to Israel's assault on Gaza has cost the party Sayed's vote. Source: SBS / Ewa Staszewska

"I voted for labor in 2022 but I was very disappointed with their complicity in the genocide that's going on in Gaza."

The description of Israel's conduct in Gaza as genocidal has been backed by several prominent international organisations but repeatedly denied by Israel.

Labor figures have also steered clear of such language and repeatedly denied claims that Australia is an arms supplier to Israel.

— Ewa Staszewska

With more than an hour until the polls close, voters are still casting their ballots at a voting station near Federation Square in the heart of Melbourne.

Sydney Greenacre, 18, just voted for the first time, saying that it "feels good that I'm finally being involved in the sort of election process, and my vote's gonna help".

"I'm hoping that we're gonna have more sort of climate action. Ideally, a big thing for me is a push for more like social housing," he said.

"The issue is there are so many issues at the moment that it's really hard to put all of the effort towards climate change ... but I do think that, you know, there's still a push for climate action."

First time voter Sydney Greenacre is hoping for more climate action. Source: SBS / Niv Sadrolodabaee

Climate change, as well as the cost of living, were the primary concerns for Lisa.

"I do think we need to accelerate action on climate change and look carefully at some of the grants and funding that large corporations and the fossil fuel industry are getting, and that could be better directed to support Australia," she said.

"Cost of living is important, but I do think that the policies that both major parties have put forward are mostly going to increase inflation."

Lisa thinks Australia should accelerate action on climate change and address the rising cost of living. Source: SBS / Niv Sadrolodabaee

— Niv Sadrolodabaee

As you walk along Bondi Road, it’s hard to miss the teal Allegra Spender corflutes.

The seat 'turned teal' in 2022 when independent Allegra Spender won by a 4.2 per cent margin against Liberal Dave Sharma.

With less than an hour to go until voting booths close on the East Coast, SBS News political reporter Ewa Staszewska is at Bondi Public School talking to last-minute voters.

Voting signs on display in Wentworth Source: SBS / Ewa Staszewska

Jenny Cohen, who is rushing in after finishing work, said she is once again voting for Spender because she thinks the incumbent "stands up for what she believes in".

"I think I like that she stands on the progressive side of the political spectrum on social issues. And I know she votes with various different parties," she told SBS News.

The line at the voting booth is short and the atmosphere relaxed — with several voters telling SBS that's precisely why they chose now to cast their vote.

Voting is compulsory in Australia.

The law prescribes that eligible voters must attend a polling place, have their name marked off the certified list, receive a ballot paper and take it to an individual voting booth, mark it, fold the ballot paper and place it in the ballot box.

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This is what could happen if you didn't vote in the federal election

If you haven't voted yet, and fail to make it out to a polling place today, you may have to pay what the Australian Electoral Commission calls an "administrative penalty" fee.

The amount is $20.

You can be exempted from voting with a valid reason, but there isn't an exhaustive list of excuses you can rely upon.

— Gabrielle Katanasho

At Western Australia's High Wycombe Primary School, voters weren’t just greeted by a flurry of campaign signs — they also walked past piles of sheep's wool, a symbol of protest against Labor's plan to ban live sheep exports by sea from 2028.

In Bullwinkel, the nation's only newly created seat in this election — and one that's notionally a Labor win with a 3.3 per cent margin — the Nationals are eyeing an upset in a rare three-way contest against Labor and the Liberals.

The export of live sheep by sea from Australia is set to be banned from May 2028, with a $107 million transition package to support the industry over the next five years. Source: SBS / Christopher Tan

Nationals candidate and former Western Australian Opposition leader Mia Davies says the race is tight.

"It's very competitive, and every vote will count — preferences will be crucial. We've run a strong campaign and offered a real alternative."

Asked whether the Nationals had moved too late on major suburban concerns like the cost of living and housing, Davies said those issues have been front and centre on the campaign trail.

"It’s impossible to avoid. When you're on doorsteps talking to people, it's clear it's affecting every household."

Mia Davies previously served as a state government minister and was elected WA Nationals leader after the defeat of Colin Barnett's government in 2017. Source: SBS / Christopher Tan

She says Bullwinkel deserves a regional voice in Canberra.

"WA drives the national economy. Our resources and agricultural sectors need representation that understands them. The Nationals are a 100-year-old party, an alternative to the major two, and not some minor party that just comes and goes."

— Christopher Tan

Independent Sophie Scamps says the Mackellar community on Sydney's northern beaches can see she's "turning up, working hard and being a strong voice".

Scamps currently holds the seat by a 1.77 per cent margin, with Liberal candidate James Brown the main opponent vying for her position.

She says one of the key local issues facing her electorate is the failing public-private hospital there — the only such hybrid-model hospital in NSW.

Sydney's Northern Beaches hospital is facing controversy after two babies died in separate incidents over the last year, with a NSW auditor-general report finding the hospital did not take sufficient actions to address clinical safety risks.

"I've been fighting for that to go back to public hands for the last three years, and we've had great movement on that," Scamps said.

"As you know, I'm a GP, [and] very aware of what's happening there, and also had a lot of people from within the hospital coming to speak to me."

— Catriona Stirrat

At 84, Robert Maley has cast more ballots than most — but says today's vote in the Western Australian division of Bullwinkel, the country's only newly created seat, was the "hardest election" he's faced yet.

"Bit mystifying," he told SBS News, standing beside his wife Dale. "There's been very little policy — I’m very disappointed."

A lifelong Liberal voter, Maley now leans Labor.

"The Liberals are still trying to figure out where they stand," he said.

Robert and Dale Maley have voted in the country's newest election. Robert is very disappointed by "very little policy". Source: SBS / Christopher Tan

He's not entirely convinced, though.

"If Labor wins, they should be more Labor. The AUKUS deal felt rushed, and Albanese shut down some of Plibersek’s good environmental ideas. He’s drifted too far right — but they’re still the better option," he said.

But 33-year-old Aidan Ridley, with a sausage sizzle in hand, sees it differently.

"Cost of living is a big one. We grew up metro. That hits hard," he said.

Chloe Cleverley, 28, said housing and support for lower-income communities shaped her vote: "WA matters. We shouldn’t be left behind."

Chloe Cleverley and Aidan Ridley said their priorities are cost of living issues and housing.

Outside the booth, Citizens Party volunteer Carl Kuen, 77, said fewer people took how-to-vote cards.

"They’d already made up their minds. That’s either a good or bad thing — depends what the results say."

— Christopher Tan

Earlier today, we reported that Peter Dutton had visited his electorate, Dickson. Labor candidate Ali France is contesting the seat for the third time.

Both candidates cast their votes at the same high school, but at different times.

Dutton spoke to reporters, evoking Scott Morrison's references to "quiet Australians" and said voters were ready for a change in government.

France spoke to SBS News, saying she was "hopeful" and thought it would be a close race. Watch those moments below:

— Alex Gallagher

Liberal candidate for Mackellar James Brown said he's aware of the big challenge his party faces in his electorate, which is a marginal seat with a 1.77 per cent swing in favour of independent Sophie Scamps.

Brown said the northern beaches of Sydney needs a change of government and the economy to be fixed.

He described his opponent as well-resourced, with backing from Climate 200, an organisation that provides political funding to support independents to advance climate policy.

James Brown, the Liberal candidate for Mackellar, says he's aware of the big challenge the party faces in his marginal electorate. Source: Getty / Dan Peled

But Brown insists people "won't be tricked this time", saying he's confident in securing votes despite a change in the electorate's boundaries.

"If we're going to win majority government, the pathway needs to come through Mackellar, but every seat is important."

— Catriona Stirrat

As Australians head to the polls, voters in another country are casting their ballots, in an election with a far more predictable outcome.

Singapore's election on Saturday is similar to the one in Australia in different ways. For example, voting is compulsory for the country's more than 2.7 million registered voters, and the campaign has also focused on issues like the cost of living and housing availability.

But unlike the Australian election — for which most polls have indicated a Labor victory but a relatively close race — experts are nearly certain about who will win in Singapore.

The ruling People's Action Party, which has been in power since 1959, when Singapore was granted self-rule by Britain, is strongly expected to win.

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Australians have gone to the polls. Another country is also holding an election today

— Niv Sadrolodabaee

SBS Queensland correspondent Jesmine Cheong is in Brisbane, where punters are waiting in a long line to vote.

And like the rest of Australia, cost of living is front of mind for voters in Queensland.

Ming Payajani said he wants to see a "real solution" to cost of living issues, rather than "empty promises".

Ming Payajani found that groceries in Australia cost more than in London. Source: SBS / Jesmine Cheong

"We just came back travelling from Europe," he told SBS News.

"We went to the supermarket and found Australia is more expensive than London.

"Which is outrageously crazy … I can't believe why this would happen in Australia."

Meanwhile, Caroline Neilsen said she chose not to vote this year.

Caroline Neilsen says there are not enough choices in this year's election. Source: SBS / Jesmine Cheong

"They are not providing what I like … today there are not enough choices," she told SBS News.

"Listen to the cost of living [issues] … and the problems with electricity, and actually make things happen."

Unsurprisingly, not everything said during the federal election campaign is true.

While many of the claims made by politicians and their supporters stack up, that's not the case for all of the information shared in the lead-up to the election.

SBS News took a look at five claims made about the election that aren't quite correct:

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'Absolute rot': Five fact-checked claims you should know before voting

— Cameron Carr

Plenty of Aboriginal people from around inner-city Sydney have cast their votes this morning at the National Centre for Indigenous Excellence in Redfern.

Redfern is a famous hive of urban Aboriginal life and First Nations activism, and several people casting their ballots this morning said Indigenous rights were key to how they were voting.

First-time voter Amarley Bron, a Biripi and Worimi woman, said she wanted to see more ambitious action on Indigenous health and housing policy, and was disappointed in the focus on Welcomes to Country in the last week of the campaign.

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What is a Welcome to Country ceremony, and why is it important?

"It's a bit of a scary time to be an Aboriginal person at the moment, [with] the media and everything that's going on especially after Anzac Day. It's just been a really tough time for us mob I think, so the things that matter to me are Aboriginal rights and just feeling safe in our country," she said.

Gumbaynggirr and Dhungutti woman Diana Vale told NITV the cost of living was her biggest concern.

"The government are trying to help, they're doing their best, but sometimes they need to do a little bit more for everybody."

Eden Mashman, Allan Dennehy and Ayesha Flood manning the barbecue in Redfern this morning. Credit: Juanita Scott-Funaki / NITV

Policies around health and education for mob were also key to how she was planning to vote.

"Being Aboriginal, I never finished high school, but I want my grandchildren and my great-grandchildren when they come along to have a higher education because years ago we couldn't have that," she said.

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What Indigenous policies are the major parties taking to the election?

— Cameron Gooley, Juanita Scott-Funaki (NITV)

The prime minister has wrapped up his campaign at a polling booth in the seat of Reid, won last election by Labor MP Sally Sitou with a 5.2 per cent margin.

The foot traffic was considerably quieter than earlier, with Anthony Albanese noting an increase in pre-polling among Australians.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was joined by his dog Toto in the final moments of his campaign. Source: AAP / Lukas Coch

He had a warm reception from Labor volunteers and took a few group photos with young kids, where his dog Toto was the star attraction.

"If only everyone in politics was as well behaved with Toto," he said.

The prime minister will watch tonight's results from Kirribilli with his fiancée Jodie.

— Naveen Razik

Opposition leader Peter Dutton has cast his vote at Grayson Hall in his own electorate of Dickson, Queensland's most marginal seat, held by 1.7 per cent. He was joined by his wife, Kirilly, and his children Harry, Tom and Bec.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton casts his ballot with his family at the Albany Creek State School Brisbane. Source: AAP / Mick Tsikas

Asked if he felt confident he'd left nothing on the table, Dutton replied: "The response we've had on doors and pre-poll booths across the country has been really positive."

He evoked Scott Morrison's references to "quiet Australians" and said people were ready for a change of government.

— Sara Tomevska