After a record early vote at the 2021 election, in large part driven by Covid, the rate of both pre-poll and postal voting have declined slightly at the 2025 election.
As of close of voting on Thursday 6 March –
- a total of 557,693 Early votes have been cast representing 29.8% of enrolment
- in 2021 the totals were 585,774 representing 34.1% of enrolment.
- Early votes made up 40.2% of formal votes in 2021.
- The final Friday saw a record 107,157 votes taken compared to 86,548 on the final day of pre-polling in 2021.
- Around 215,000 postal vote applications were received, down on the number in 2021. As of Wednesday around 130,000 have been returned and are ready for counting on election night. The number of postal votes is well down on 2021 when there were 333,377 postal applications, 311,598 postal vote packs dispatched, and 246,120 returned, a return rate of 73.8%.
- As percentages the postal applications were 19.4% in 2021 but the figure in 2025 is well down at 14.4%.
In 2025 Early voting is restricted to the two weeks before polling day. In 2021 there were an extra two days on the Friday and Saturday before the final two weeks. 94,379 Early votes were taken on these two days in 2021. There is no early voting on the first Monday in March public holiday. In 2021 the public holiday was two weeks before polling day. In 2025 it is one week before polling day on 3 March.
Graphs of Early voting by day and accumulated percentages are inside the post. I hope to have some information on postal voting next week.
Pre-Poll and Postal Votes as a Percentage of Total Votes
The table above express pre-polls as a percentage of enrolment. Not everyone votes, turnout at WA elections generally between 85% and 90%. So pre-poll votes make up a higher proportion of total votes.
So while as a percentage of enrolment pre-poll votes made up 34.1% of enrolment, they made up 40.2% of formal votes.
The chart below shows the various vote types as a percentage of formal votes since 1986.
Antony,
Best wishes on your recently announced upcoming retirement.
Which two or three electorates would in your opinion indicate that the Cook Labor government has benn re-elected?
Hi Kim,
This is answered in Mr Green’s section about the WA 2025 election on the ABC website – https://www.abc.net.au/news/elections/wa/2025/guide/preview
from bottom of the page:
“Finally in Perth’s outer north, the neighbouring seats of Mindarie (ALP 27.9%), Wanneroo (ALP 28.5%) and Joondalup (ALP 25.5%) are traditionally seats that go with government. With margins now above 25%, these seats look unlikely to change party which is a bellwether that points to Labor being re-elected.”
Thanks for covering election night in Australia for the past however man years mate.
Is there an election night for the WA state election on ABC?
COMMENT: Yes. Live coverage from 6pm Western Time and whatever the time is in other states through ABC New Channel.
Thanks for providing us with these interesting statistics; they are always an insight into changes in voting behaviour. It will be a tough day today for volunteers and voters alike in the 40 deg city heat.
It’s possible a very large surge in early voting will occur on the final day of pre polls tomorrow .
Why does it take so long to count the votes? Jandakot has been stuck on 58% counted since Saturday night. You wouldn’t want the vote to be close.