Summary

  1. A record 16.4 million Australians are registered to vote in the national elections
  2. They’re choosing all the seats in the lower house and about half of senate seats
  3. The Liberal-National coalition is fighting to stay in power under nine-month PM Scott Morrison
  4. They’re facing strong competition from Bill Shorten’s Labor party with minor parties also doing well in some regions
  5. Polls opened at 0800 Canberra time (2200 GMT Friday) but more than four million Australians have voted in ‘pre-polling’
  6. BBC Online is bringing live coverage and analysis of events from reporters around Australia