It’s On: Everything You Need to Know About the Federal Election on 18 May

Well, it’s been a wild ride, but much like Game of Thrones, the current period of #Auspol is nearing its thrilling conclusion.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced Australians will head to the polls on Saturday 18 May, finally ending speculation as to when the next Federal election would be held.

(Yes, that’s literally the weekend before the last episode of Game of Thrones, and the same night as the end of the Eurovision Song Contest. It’s like Life: The Season Finale!)

In his first official pitch to voters, Morrison emphasised the strength of the Australian economy and the Liberal party's pledge to increase funding for services such as schools, hospital, medicine and roads.

(It’s worth noting this will be Morrison’s first tilt as Prime Minister. Last time, if you can even think back that far, there was a gent by the name of Malcolm Turnbull leading the Liberals.)

Opposition leader Bill Shorten kicked off his campaign for the Labor party with a message to "deliver a fair go for Australia".

Yeah, don’t expect that to be the last you hear from them before 18 May (as well as the other party members, smaller party members and independents canvassing for votes over the next month).

Besides doing your research into who’s running, here’s what you need to know before casting a vote:

This is kind of important! As election season kicks off, get the summary of Australian politics you never wanted, but always needed.

If you’ve turned 18 since the last election, congrats! This will be your first time at the polls! Don’t forget, the final day for enrolment is 18 April, so if you’re not on the rolls—or not sure—head to the AEC and double check/get it sorted! (That’s also the case if you’ve changed address since the last election.)

From 'how to vote' pamphlets to democracy sausages, we’ve got you covered.

See you in the sausage lines!

Header Image: iStock.com/jemastock & Facebook (Bill Shorten MP, Scott Morrison)