Australia selects its next federal government in less than two weeks, with the voting process starting today in earnest as pre-poll or early voting booths open at 8:30 this morning.

Pre-poll voting accounted for 32.2% of enrolled voters at the 2022 election, which was up from 29.9% in 2019.

There are only a few polling booths open for pre-poll/early voters; they are:

• Lismore: 4 Zadoc Street, Lismore
• Goonellabah: Goonellabah Community Centre - 27 Oliver Avenue, Goonellabah
• Ballina: Richmond Room (Ballina Library), 5 Regatta Avenue, Ballina
• Casino: Casino Community & Cultural Centre, 35 Walker Street, Casino
• Maclean: Maclean RSL, 38 River Street, Maclean
• Grafton: Grafton Cathedral Hall (Edwards Hall), cnr Duke & Fitzroy Street, Grafton

This week, the voting hours are:

• Tuesday to Thursday: 8:30am to 5:30pm
• ANZAC DAY: closed/no voting
• Saturday, April 26: 9am to 4pm

The Lismore App 2025 Federal Election button provides a simple link to the Australian Electoral Commission website, so you can easily find where you can vote and what times booths are open for both early voting and polling day.

As you can imagine, on election day, Saturday, May 3, between 8am and 6pm, there are significantly more locations where you can cast your vote. Simply type in your postcode, location or suburb to find a location closest to you.

It has also been updated to include How to Vote in the House of Representatives and How to Vote in the Senate. There is a written and video explanation so you can make your vote count.

Also new from today is the 2025 Federal Election podcasts for those candidates who wish to participate. They include Andrew Grady from the Family First Party, Wendy Backhous from the Labor Party, Dr Luke Robinson from The Greens Party and Kevin Hogan from the National Party. Click here to listen to the podcasts.