Simultaneous half-Senate and House of Representatives election
As House of Representatives and half-Senate elections are usually held together, both the earliest and latest days for an election would be dictated by the half-Senate election. As such, the earliest date for a simultaneous election would be Saturday, 3 August 2024 and the latest possible date would be Saturday 17 May 2025
When can a ‘normal’ election be held? has a three-part answer:
- The first date for a normal house and half-Senate election is 7 August 2021, if announced this weekend and writs are issued by Monday 5 July.
- The last date for a normal house and half-Senate election is 21 May 2022. This date gives six weeks to complete the complex Senate count and allows Senators to be declared elected and start their terms on 1 July. A mid-May election would be announced in early April 2022.
- There is a highly improbable option for a half-Senate election by 21 May 2022 and a separate House election as late as 3 September 2022.
Table 1: Commonwealth elections—Next election dates
|
Last election |
Earliest date |
Latest date |
Simultaneous half-Senate and House of Representatives |
21 May 2022 |
3 August 2024 |
17 May 2025 |
House of Representatives |
|
|
27 September 2025 |
Half-Senate |
|
3 August 2024 |
17 May 2025 |
Double dissolution |
N/A |
|
29 March 2025 |
Source: Parliamentary Library.
https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_departments/Parliamentary_Library/pubs/rp/rp2223/Quick_Guides/WhenIsTheNextElection2022