Next Australian federal election

The Australian Electoral Commission is required, one year after the first sitting day for a new House of Representatives, to determine the number of members to which each State and Territory is entitled. If the number in any state changes, a redistribution will be required in those states. A redistribution will be postponed if it would begin within one year of the expiration of the House of Representatives.

Demographic statistics for December 2019 released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on 18 June 2020 were used to calculate the determination. The population counts confirmed that the number of seats in the House of Representatives was to return to 150, with Victoria gaining a seat (39) and Western Australia (15) and the Northern Territory (1) losing a seat each.[1][2]

June 2020 determination (set aside)
State	Seats	Change
New South Wales	47
Victoria	39	1
Queensland	30
Western Australia	15	1
South Australia	10
Tasmania	5
Australian Capital Territory	3
Northern Territory	1	1
Total	150	1

The abolition of the Northern Territory's second seat in the determination was controversial. Two Labor Party senators put forward a private senator's bill which would guarantee the territory a minimum two seats in the House of Representatives, with the bill referred to the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters. In October 2020, deputy prime minister Michael McCormack gave an assurance that the territory would retain its two seats, but the mechanism by which this would take place was not clear.[3]

In July 2020, in his submission to the Joint Standing Committee of Electoral Matters, election analyst Antony Green suggested using the "harmonic mean method" to calculate the entitlement determination for the territories.[4][5] On 9 December 2020, the Electoral Amendment (Territory Representation) Act was passed by the Parliament. The legislation amended the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 and utilsed the harmonic mean method to determine the entitlement for territories.[6][7] Under the new method, the Northern Territory will retain two seats at this election.[6] Unlike the earlier private senator's bill, the legislation did not explicitly dictate a minimum number of Northern Territory seats in the House of Representatives, but achieved the same outcome.[8]

December 2020 determination
State	Seats	Change
New South Wales	47
Victoria	39	1
Queensland	30
Western Australia	15	1
South Australia	10
Tasmania	5
Australian Capital Territory	3
Northern Territory	2
Total	151

Enrolment of eligible voters is compulsory. Voters must notify the AEC within 8 weeks of a change of address or after turning 18. The electoral rolls are closed for new enrolments or update of details about a week after the issue of writs for election.[9][10]

The date and type of federal election is determined by the Prime Minister – after a consideration of constitutional requirements, legal requirements, as well as political considerations – who advises the Governor-General to set the process in motion by dissolving the lower or both houses and issuing writs for election. The Constitution of Australia does not require simultaneous elections for the Senate and the House of Representatives, but it has long been preferred that elections for the two houses take place simultaneously. The most recent House-only election took place in 1972, and the most recent Senate-only election took place in 1970. The election day must be a Saturday.[11]

An election for the House of Representatives can be called at any time before the expiration of the three-year term of the House of Representatives[12] or up to ten days thereafter.[13] The term of the House of Representatives starts on the first sitting day of the House following its election, which in the case of the 46th Parliament was 2 July 2019. The Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 (CEA) sets certain requirements. Up to 27 days must be allowed for nominations,[14] and the actual election can be set for a maximum of 31 days after close of nominations,[15] resulting in the latest election date for the House of Representatives being after the latest possible date for the next senate election.

The election of senators must take place within one year before the terms expire for half-Senate elections,[16] so that the writs for a half-Senate election cannot be issued earlier than 1 July 2021. Since campaigns are for a minimum of 33 days, the earliest possible date for a simultaneous House/half-Senate election is Saturday, 7 August 2021.[17] The latest that a half-Senate election could be held must allow time for the votes to be counted and the writs to be returned before the newly elected senators take office on 1 July 2022. This took 41 days in 2019, and were returned on the last possible date available given the impending commencement of the new senators. Using this approximate time frame, the last possible date for a half-Senate election to take place is Saturday 21 May 2022.

A double dissolution (a deadlock-breaking provision to dissolve both houses of parliament) cannot take place within six months before the date of the expiry of the House of Representatives.[18] That means that any double dissolution of the 46th Parliament will have to be granted by 1 January 2022. Allowing for the same stages indicated above, the last possible date for a double dissolution election would be in March 2022.[17] This can only occur if a bill that passes the House of Representatives is rejected by the Senate twice, at least three months apart.

Candidates for either house must be formally nominated with the Electoral Commission. The nomination for a party-endorsed candidate must be signed by the Registered Officer of a party registered under the Electoral Act. Fifty signatures of eligible voters are required for an independent candidate. A candidate can nominate for only one electorate, and must pass a number of qualifications.

A deposit of $2,000 will be required for a candidate for the House of Representatives or the Senate, which is refunded if the candidate is elected or gains at least 4% of the first preference vote.[22][23] Between 10 and 27 days must be allowed after the issue of writs before the close of nominations.[14]

Members of Parliament and Senators who have announced they will not renominate for the upcoming election are as follows:

• List of political parties in Australia