A man standing at a lectern.

Incoming prime minister Anthony Albanese. Source: Getty / Lisa Maree Williams

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Election 2022 as it happened: Anthony Albanese's emotional victory speech, Scott Morrison steps down as party leader

A man standing at a lectern.

Incoming prime minister Anthony Albanese. Source: Getty / Lisa Maree Williams

Published 21 May 2022 5:35pm
Updated 23 May 2022 6:10pm
Source: SBS News


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21 May 2022 7:23pm
Live from Liberal HQ as Morrison chases second election miracle
At the Liberal Party's Headquarters, there is not a lot happening at the moment - it is mainly immediate setting up it is expected more people will start pouring in as the night goes on.

Whether the mood is jubilant will depend on the vote count.

We do know that Scott Morrison will be chasing his second election miracle. He has been crisscrossing the nation over the past six weeks trying to sandbag Coalition seats and flick Labor marginals.
He was in the Labor-held seat of McEwen in Victoria this morning before heading to Sydney to vote and make his final pitch to voters.

Mr Morrison told Australia the Liberals are the better economic managers. This is a message we have been hearing for some time, although it has really ramped up after the Liberal Party campaign launch where Scott Morrison unveiled his super homebuyers scheme. National security is another key battleground.

The Morrison government also promised big defence spending and told voters it is the better party to keep Australian safe. Whether these messages will stick with voters, we could find out within a matter of hours.

- Shuba Krishnan
21 May 2022 7:17pm
Results are starting to come in, David Littleproud set to retain seat
It’s looking likely Nationals MP David Littleproud will hold onto his central Queensland seat of Maranoa, despite the poll recording around a 1 per cent swing going to Pauline Hanson’s One Nation party.

The Australian Electoral Commission is projecting a two candidate preferred vote of 71.46 per cent for Mr Littleproud - who was agriculture minister in the Morrison government.

Independent MP Bob Katter is also likely to hold his seat with early projections showing he’s going to reach up to 67.03 of the two candidate preferred vote.

Elsewhere, in Eden Monaro on the south coast of NSW, Labor MP Kirsty McBain is projected to take up to 55 per cent of the vote on a two candidate preferred basis.

This compares to Liberal challenger Jerry Nockles current count of around 44 per cent.

The seat was won on a margin of just 0.8 per cent at the last election.

- Tom Stayner
21 May 2022 7:00pm
Pups, snags, and budgy smugglers: Voting day in pictures
Compulsory voting in Australia brings out more than the democracy sausage. Here are a few snaps captured across the country.
A black dog wearing a neck scarf.
A dog is dressed in merchandise for Independent candidate for Warringah Zali Steggell at Manly Village Public School. Source: AAP / BIANCA DE MARCHI/AAPIMAGE

A man wearing bathers cast his vote.
A man casts his vote at a polling station at Bondi Beach in Sydney. Source: Getty / STEVEN SAPHORE/AFP via Getty Images
A man eating a sausage in bread.
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg eats a democracy sausage at Belle Vue Primary School in the seat of Kooyong, Melbourne. Source: AAP / JAMES ROSS/AAPIMAGE
A man holding a dog.
Opposition leader Anthony Albanese with his dog Toto after casting his vote at a polling booth at Marrickville Town Hall on Federal Election day, in the seat of Grayndler, Sydney. Source: AAP / LUKAS COCH/AAPIMAGE
A man, his wife, and their daughter looking at baked goods at a stall.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, his wife Jenny and daughters Lily and Abbey visit a cake stall after voting in his electorate of Cook in Sydney. Source: AAP,AP / Mark Baker/AP
Baked goods are seen on a plate with a small sign that say "Jacqui Lamington", "Barnaby Joys", and "Hawaiian Holiday Cupcakes".
Cakes, scones and biscuits for sale at the Camdenville Public School polling booth on Federal Election day had a political theme. Source: AAP / DEAN LEWINS/AAPIMAGE
Two people are seen holding sausages in a bread roll.
Voters are seen with democracy sausages at Double Bay Public School in the seat of Wentworth, Sydney. Source: AAP / BIANCA DE MARCHI/AAPIMAGE
A woman wearing a gas canister costume dances with another woman holding a prop resembling a piece of coal in front of a vehicle mounted with a giant head of Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
A woman wearing a gas canister costume dances with another woman holding a prop resembling a piece of coal in front of a vehicle mounted with a giant head of Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison at a polling station at Bondi Beach. Source: Getty,AFP / STEVEN SAPHORE/AFP via Getty Images
Dogs standing near a fence.
Dogs tied up outside the polling station at Bondi Beach Public School in the electorate of Wentworth. Source: Getty / James D. Morgan/Getty Images
21 May 2022 6:52pm
The seats to watch in tonight’s election count
Tonight's election result is expected to be a closely fought contest with a handful of seats potentially making the difference in determining the winner.

It’s also not just marginal seats that could deliver surprise outcomes, with challenges from independent candidates and the retirement of long-serving MPs also presenting uncertainties.

Below you can read our full story on the seats to watch that could reveal how the poll plays out - but here’s a quick recap of their margins.
  • Parramatta, NSW - Labor 3.5 per cent
  • Hunter, NSW - Labor 3 per cent 
  • Gilmore, NSW - Labor 2.3 per cent 
  • Chisholm, VIC- Liberal 0.5 per cent
  • Corangamite, VIC - Labor 1.1 per cent 
  • Bass, TAS - Liberal 0.4 per cent 
  • Braddon, TAS - Liberal 3.1 per cent 
  • Lyons, TAS - Labor 5.1 per cent 
  • Boothby, SA - Liberal 1.4 per cent  
  • Lingiari, NT - Labor 5.5 per cent
  • Solomon, NT- Labor 3.1 per cent 
  • Flynn, QLD - Liberal National Party 8.7 per cent 
  • Brisbane, QLD - Liberal National Party 4.9 per cent 
  • Griffith, QLD - Labor 2.9 per cent
A number of Liberal MPs are also across the country.

This includes Treasurer Josh Frydenberg’s Melbourne seat of Kooyong, Goldstein, also in Melbourne, and North Sydney, Mackellar and Wentworth in New South Wales.

Find out more here:
- Tom Stayner
21 May 2022 6:45pm
How your neighbourhood has voted in each federal election since 1996
It's fair to say a lot has changed in 26 years, but have the voting habits of your neighbours?

SBS News has created an interactive that shows voting results from every single polling station across Australia, from all nine federal elections since 1996.

Curious to see how folks voted at your local polling station? You can dive in and take a look here:
- David Aidone
21 May 2022 6:39pm
Voting has now closed in South Australia and the Northern Territory
Voting has now closed in Victoria, NSW, Queensland, Tasmania, South Australia, the Northern Territory and ACT.

Western Australia voters are still casting their ballots, and polling stations there will close in just over an hour.

-David Aidone
21 May 2022 6:25pm
First figures are in - from Norfolk Island
It's less than half an hour since voting has closed in some jurisdictions in the east of Australia and no seats have yet been called.

The first numbers are in and are for the ACT's electorate of Bean. They're votes from Norfolk Island and show the highest percentage of votes have gone to Independent Jamie Christie.

- Monique Pueblos
21 May 2022 6:10pm
How tonight's vote count will work
Polling is now closed in the eastern jurisdictions — Queensland, NSW, the ACT, Victoria and Tasmania) — and the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) says counting has begun.
Here's a brief rundown of how tonight's count will work.

The AEC says all votes that were cast today will be counted tonight, along with the majority of pre-poll votes already cast. There will be large pre-poll counts that will not be available until late in the night.

All counting will cease at midnight (local time), but that will not include postal votes. The first small postal vote counts will be available from tomorrow afternoon - earlier than previous counts, which did not occur until the following Tuesday.

Read more about how the count works here:
- Emma Brancatisano
21 May 2022 5:56pm
Ten dollar democracy sausages as sizzle tally surpasses 2019
Among the cascade of party pamphlets and last-minute election day flurry, there were light moments sprinkled throughout the day.

In Australia, the grease from hundreds of thousands of barbecued sausages helped keep the wheels of democracy turning - and today there was no shortage of sausage.

This election day there were more sausages sizzling at polling booths than last time around in 2019, according to mapping service Democracy Sausage.

There were some on-theme menu offerings like the "The Albacheesy," (a halloumi and egg roll) and even a $10 "gourmet" sausage sandwich that stirred outrage online. All we can hope is that the $10 sanger was sufficiently sauced.

Former Labor leader Bill Shorten also recreated a moment that turned heads in 2016, biting into the middle of his democracy sausage, instead of one end.
- Michelle Elias
21 May 2022 5:52pm
What went down as Australians cast their ballots?
Polling stations will close soon across eastern parts of the country.

As Australians cast their ballots, chowed down on democracy sausages, and put the final touches on their election night parties, here's what else was happening:
  • The Federal Court in Melbourne granted a court order to have election signs that Labor is calling misleading r.
  • A spokesperson for the Liberal Party admitted on asylum seeker boats that were headed for Australia before being intercepted in recent days.
  • Scott Morrison championed a strong economy and a stronger future in his final pitch to voters as he cast what could be his final ballot as prime minister.
  • Anthony Albanese pledged to "unite the country" if as expected he becomes Australia's next prime minister In his final pitch to voters.
- David Aidone with AAP
21 May 2022 5:35pm
Welcome to SBS News' live blog
Good evening and welcome to SBS News' live blog of the 2022 federal election. We'll be here to bring you all of the action, key moments and results as the night unfolds.

SBS News will have reporters stationed in marginal electorates across the country to keep you informed, as Anton Enus and Anna Henderson () lead our coverage.
  • Pablo Viñales and Shuba Krishnan ) will have all of the action live from the Liberal Party and Labor Party headquarters.
  • Catalina Flórez () will be in the NSW seat of Reid, currently held by the Liberals on a 3.2 per cent margin.
  • Gloria Kalache will be in Victorian seat of Chisholm, currently held by the Liberals on a 0.5 per cent margin.
  • Stefan Armbruster , will be in the Queensland seat of Griffith, held by Labor on a 2.9 per cent margin.
  • Peta Doherty will be in the South Australian seat of Boothby, held by the Liberals on a 1.4 per cent margin.
  • Aaron Fernandes ) will be in the seat of Cowan in WA, held by Labor on a margin of less than one per cent.
  • Sarah Maunder () will be in the Tasmanian seat of Bass, held by the Liberals on a margin of 0.4 per cent.
  • Aneeta Bhole ( will be in Lingiari in the Northern Territory, held by Labor on a 5.5 per cent margin.
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