2024/5 – Federal Election Senate (anytime, 3 Aug 2024 – 17 May 2025)

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