Early voting has begun across the Sunshine Coast ahead of the May 3 federal election, with local electorates of Fairfax and Fisher preparing to cast their ballots in what many are calling one of the most pivotal elections in recent memory.
With 139,123 enrolled voters in Fisher and 130,713 Fairfax, the Sunshine Coast will play a key role in shaping the national result.
Roughly 1300 polling places will open across Queensland on election day, but early voting is already surging.
An Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) spokesperson confirmed that more than one million votes were lodged in the first 48 hours of prepolling nationwide, with Queensland recording a 10 per cent increase on the last federal election.
“While Australian election processes remain largely unchanged, the digital era – including the rise of AI-generated content – poses new challenges to electoral integrity,” said Australian Electoral Commissioner, Jeff Pope.
Despite these challenges, trust in the system remains high.
The 2025 election is expected to have the most complete electoral roll since federation, with over 18 million Australians enrolled – a record 98 per cent of eligible voters.
Vote counting will commence after polls close at 6pm on May 3.
www.aec.gov.au