Australian Election Heats Up: Early Votes Cast Amid Tight Race

Early voting in the Australian election commenced on Tuesday with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's Labor party slightly leading over the conservative opposition coalition. The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, faces challenges due to his perceived alignment with U.S. politics, while Labor maintains a lead in recent polls.

Early voting for the Australian federal election kicked off on Tuesday, as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's center-left Labor party maintains a narrow lead over the conservative coalition, led by Peter Dutton.

A rise in early and postal voting trends could result in half of eligible Australians casting ballots before the May 3 election date, as per Australia's election commission data. The election's onset matches a dip in popularity for Dutton, largely due to his perceived ideological alignment with U.S. President Donald Trump.

Dutton recently withdrew a controversial proposal requiring federal employees to return to full-time office work, a move seen as echoing policies from the Trump era. Meanwhile, recent polling shows Albanese closing the gap swiftly, overturning a six-point deficit to gain a lead of up to nine points this month.

(With inputs from agencies.)