CANBERRA, April 22 (Xinhua) -- Early voting began in Australia's general election on Tuesday, with about half of the country's 18 million registered voters expected to cast their ballots before election day on May 3.

Hundreds of early voting centers across Australia opened their doors from 8:30 a.m. local time as the election campaign entered its final stretch.

The proportion of Australians choosing to vote early, either in person or by post, has steadily increased at recent federal elections from under 20 percent in 2004 to almost 50 percent in 2022.

Voting in elections is mandatory for over 18 million citizens aged 18 and over who are enrolled to do so with the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC). According to the AEC, eligible voter enrollment for the May 3 election is a record-high 98.2 percent.

Although millions of votes will be cast early, AEC staff cannot start counting any ballots until polls close at 6 p.m. local time on May 3.

Jill Sheppard, a senior lecturer in politics and international relations at the Australian National University, said that the rise in early voting could be attributed to the convenience of pre-polling as well as growing disengagement among voters with political parties and campaigns. Enditem

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