It's been three years since we last voted in a federal election, so you might be a bit rusty on how to fill out your ballot paper. Here's what you need to know.

How do I vote? Is it just a matter of go to a voting centre, tick one box and walk out? No. In Australia, we choose our candidates based on our “preferences”, from highest to lowest.

Australia has more than 500 early voting centres, which opened on April 22 and will close on Friday, May 2. About 4.8 million Australians had already cast early ballots as of Thursday.

Pre-election national opinion polls firmed in Labor’s favor, but Australia’s preferential voting system and the declining dominance of the two major parties makes it difficult to predict who ...

“We do not need to beg, or borrow, or copy from anywhere else,” he said. “We do not seek our inspiration overseas.” Lining up to vote at a polling station on Saturday in Sydney, Australia.