Polling Day Opens Statewide
Tasmanians are casting their votes in the state election just one year after the last poll closed. Polling booths opened this morning and will close at 6pm, with the final count likely to take time. Electoral Commissioner Andrew Hawkey advised voters to arrive early due to forecast wild weather.
Severe Weather Hits Election Day
The Bureau of Meteorology issued warnings of strong winds across much of the state. A cold front will move from west to east, bringing wind gusts up to 110 km/h. Hobart and Launceston are expected to face 100 km/h gusts. The Tasmanian Electoral Commission warned of delays, particularly near York Park in Launceston, due to an AFL match.
⚠️🌬️ 10:30am: Severe Weather Warning for damaging #winds across all of #Tasmania & the #BassStrait Islands.
A strong cold front is bringing damaging winds to #Tas on Sat, easing at night.
117 km/h gust at kununyi/Mt Wellington.
98 km/h gust at Mt Read.
83km/h at Hobart pic.twitter.com/CJ4Crn8oa7— Bureau of Meteorology, Tasmania (@BOM_Tas) July 19, 2025
Election Day Experiences
Voters across Tasmania reported wind disruptions and a lighter turnout of traditional democracy sausages. At Glen Huon Primary School, wind reportedly “almost blew the sausage off the bread.” At Blackmans Bay, a volunteer reported they had run out of onion, calling it a crisis on such a significant day.
Matt and Karen are in good spirits, despite the onion shortage
Voter Concerns Shared at Booths
At Invermay, Annie expressed concern about health, education, housing and religion. She urged the government to prioritise people over infrastructure. PE teacher Craig said education and healthcare mattered most to him. He backed a major party to ensure stable governance.
Leaders Cast Their Votes
Liberal leader Jeremy Rockliff cast his vote in Sassafras with daughter Lucy, who was voting for the first time. Rockliff praised his team, saying, “I could not have asked for a more disciplined and loyal and focused team.” He committed to respecting the will of voters but declined to discuss leadership if the Liberals lose.
Labor leader Dean Winter campaigned in North Hobart with Clark candidate John Kamara. Winter said, “Tasmanians have seen eleven years, [they] have seen chaos, they’ve seen dysfunction.” He highlighted grassroots campaigning and support for new candidates like Kamara. Kamara said he felt confident about his chances.
Liberal Leader Jeremy Rockliff with his daughter Lucy
Devonshire Tea Replaces Sausages
The Midtown City CWA in Hobart offered Devonshire tea instead of sausages. Member Robyn Murrell said the group prepared more than 400 scones. She said, “We’re used to doing this sort of thing, rather than sausages.” The proceeds will support local charities.
Bake Sale Paused at Mount Nelson
Mount Nelson Primary School chose not to run its popular pun-themed bake sale. Volunteer Lihini cited school holidays and a federal election clash. She said, “It is pretty windy; we’re holding our tent down,” but noted the barbecue fundraiser was still drawing steady traffic.
Cake sale paused at Mount Nelson Primary School
High Early Voting Numbers Recorded
Early voting reached a record high, with 132,493 Tasmanians casting ballots before Friday night. This equates to 32 per cent of total enrolment. Braddon led with 23,123 early votes, followed by Franklin with 21,405. Seven thousand early votes were lodged from overseas or through disability-accessible telephone voting.
Democracy Sausage Shortage Explained
Of 256 polling places statewide, 115 are schools. Many schools struggled to find volunteers due to holidays, reducing sausage sizzles. Voters are encouraged to support community groups operating barbecues. The TEC suggested checking democracysausage.org for local listings.
Shortage of sausages due to a lack of volunteers
Party Platforms Outlined
The Liberals promised to launch a state-owned insurance firm, TasInsure. Labor pledged 10 new government-funded GP clinics under its TassieDoc policy. The Greens advocated for more teachers, health investment, free transport and a freeze on unreasonable rent hikes. Both major parties support the Macquarie Point stadium, while the Greens oppose it.
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Polling Data Indicates Tight Race
YouGov’s final poll showed the Liberals on 31 per cent, Labor at 30 per cent, and Greens at 16 per cent. The poll predicted a hung parliament with a 39 per cent non-major vote share. It also found 55 per cent of voters preferred Dean Winter as premier in case of no majority.
Over 160 Candidates Nominated
There are 161 candidates in total. Bass has 31, Braddon 38, Clark 26, Franklin 31, and Lyons 35. The count will begin tonight with most pre-poll and same-day votes. Postal votes will be checked and counted from Thursday, with preference distribution beginning next Tuesday.
Coverage and Results
The ABC will provide rolling coverage via live blog, ABC TV, radio and iview. Tally room figures will appear from 6:45pm. Election analyst Kevin Bonham said a general trend should emerge tonight, despite postals being counted later. Final results are expected by next week.
