CANBERRA, March 28 (Xinhua) -- Australian Prime Minister (PM) Anthony Albanese has called a general election, putting the country's democratic system in the spotlight.

Albanese on Friday visited Governor-General Sam Mostyn to ask her to dissolve the lower house of the federal parliament and command the Electoral Commissioner to conduct a general election for the 48th Parliament of Australia on May 3.

By issuing writs specifying the date of the election and the cut-off date for candidate nominations, Mostyn has formally started a five-week election campaign.

During the campaign, Albanese and Peter Dutton, the respective leaders of the governing Labor Party and opposition Coalition of the Liberal and National parties, will travel around the country aiming to secure the support of voters.

In order to form government, either major party must win at least 76 out of the 150 seats that make up the lower house, known as the House of Representatives.

The constitution dictates that electorates are appointed among the six states, namely New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, and Tasmania, in proportion to their population on the provision that each state has at least five Members of Parliament (MPs) in the lower house. The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) has three MPs and the Northern Territory (NT) two.

According to the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC), there were an average of 117,163 enrolled voters in each electorate at the 2022 election.

The 47th parliament consisted of 151 seats in the lower house but the independent AEC has reduced the number by one to reflect changes in the distribution of the national population.

If neither Labor nor the Coalition wins a majority of the 150 lower house seats, an eventuality known as a "hung parliament", they will negotiate with minor parties and independent MPs for their support to form a minority government.

It is mandatory for every Australian citizen aged 18 and over to vote either in person on election day, by mail or at early voting centers. Eligible voter turnout was 89.8 percent in 2022.

Once polls close at 6 p.m. local time on May 3, AEC staff will begin counting and reporting votes, with the majority of results usually known on election night.

A candidate is deemed the winner of an electorate if they receive over 50 percent of votes.

If one party wins a clear majority of the 150 seats, the leader will visit Mostyn who will formally commission the leader as PM. Labor enters the election holding 77 seats in the lower house and the Coalition 53.

In the case of a hung parliament, re-counting votes and subsequent negotiations with minor parties and independents could take days or weeks.

Once a leader has secured the support of enough minor party and independent MPs to reach at least 76 in their favor, Mostyn will invite the leader to form a minority government.

In addition to the 150 lower house electorates, 40 out of the 76 seats in the upper house, the Senate, will also be filled at the election.

The composition of the Senate has no influence on which party forms government and is typically more fragmented than the lower house. However, a government requires a majority of MPs and Senators to vote in favor of legislation in order for it to become law.

Labor currently holds 25 seats in the Senate and the Coalition 30, with minor parties and independents holding the remaining 21. Enditem

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