Victoria’s election campaign has entered its most intense phase, with the first votes of the contest set to be cast as early voting opens across the state. Premier Jacinta Allan and Opposition Leader Brad Battin used the weekend to sharpen their pitches to voters, trading blows over the cost of living, health services and infrastructure delivery as the formal campaign moved into top gear.
Both leaders fanned out across Melbourne’s battleground suburbs and key regional centres on Saturday, targeting marginal seats that are expected to decide the outcome of the November 28 poll. Ms Allan promoted her government’s record on jobs and transport projects, while Mr Battin seized on household budget pressures, promising relief on energy bills and a tougher approach to government spending.
Electoral officials confirmed early voting centres will open from Monday, with more than 1,000 pre-poll locations operating statewide in the lead-up to election day. The Victorian Electoral Commission has urged voters to plan their visit and check wait times online, warning that the final week of pre-polling is traditionally the busiest.
Political analysts say the campaign’s opening days have done little to shift the contest, with internal polling suggesting a tight race in a string of seats across the city’s outer suburbs and the state’s fast-growing regional fringe. Cost of living remains the dominant concern for voters, followed closely by healthcare waiting times and housing affordability.
With postal vote applications already exceeding expectations, both major parties are pouring resources into marginal electorates, and the coming fortnight is expected to deliver the sharpest exchanges of the campaign. Voters head to the polls on Saturday, November 28.
