The Western Australia election held on March 8, 2025, has seen the Labor party poised for a significant victory, with election analyst Antony Green calling the election just after 7:40 p.m. WST.Green described it as potentially the second-biggest Labor victory in the state’s history, despite current figures indicating a 10.6 percent swing against Labor. National Party leader Shane Love is projected to retain his seat. Voters have also been actively sharing their perspectives on various issues, ranging from respect for Indigenous culture to the ever-popular democracy sausages, and concerns have arisen regarding ballot shortages.

According to Antony Green, the Labor party is currently holding a considerable lead with a state-wide, two-party-preferred total of 59.1 percent, while the Liberal party trails at 40.9 percent. This significant margin underscores Labor’s strong showing in the election.

Shane Love Secures Re-election

National party leader Shane Love is expected to maintain his position,according to election analyst Antony Green. Love,who also serves as Opposition Leader,currently represents the seat of Mid-West and has garnered 46.2 percent of the primary vote. The Mid-West race also includes Liberal candidate Merome Beard, a former Nationals member, who currently holds 20 percent of the vote.

Voter feedback and Concerns

The election has ignited considerable discussion among voters, who have voiced their opinions on a diverse array of topics. One voter, Michele, expressed concern regarding respect for Indigenous culture, stating:

I am not Indigenous but found it very disrespectful that Libby Mettam would not stand before the indigenous flag. We have many economic issues in Australia but from my personal perspective in a world full of racial conflict all Aussies should be united and represented.
Michele

Other voters have focused on specific policy issues. Harry inquired:

I am interested if International Women’s Day might have guided votes to women candidates today?
Harry

Ash raised concerns about corporate accountability, asking:

Which party will actually have the strength to tax the large mining companies and corporations, while making them accountable [for] the environmental rehabilitation they’re contracted to?
Ash

Democracy Sausage Enthusiasm

As is customary, democracy sausages have been a popular topic of conversation among voters. phoebe reported:

Ther was talk about spearwood running out of ballots; my polling place was so quiet they started giving out the hot dog buns!
Phoebe

Harry even gave a “ringing endorsement” to the sausage quality at Collier Primary, stating he will be casting his vote there from now on.

Electoral Commission responds to Voting Concerns

The WA Electoral Commission has addressed reports of voters being turned away from polling booths across the metropolitan area. The ABC received numerous calls from people who reported they where unable to vote as their local polling station had run out of ballots. However, the WA Electoral Commission stated that no-one was refused the opportunity to vote.

Ballot Shortages Reported, Zempilas Faces ‘underwhelming’ Vote

Perth, Western Australia – March 8, 2025 – The Western Australia election encountered several challenges today, including reports of ballot paper shortages and early indications of a possibly weak performance by Liberal candidate Basil Zempilas.Voting booths in various locations experienced issues, with the Western Australian Electoral Commission (WAEC) confirming at least one incident in Cockburn.

Reports surfaced concerning ballot paper shortages at multiple polling places. While initial reports mentioned booths in Shenton Park, Spearwood, and Forrestfield, the WAEC stated they were only aware of a confirmed issue at St Jerome’s Primary School in Cockburn, located in perth’s south. The incident occurred near the close of polling.

According to the WAEC, the shortage specifically involved legislative council ballot papers. Voters at St Jerome’s primary School were asked to wait for additional ballot papers to arrive.The WAEC stated, At this point the only report from our staff of ballot paper shortages was St Jerome’s Primary School in Cockburn where they ran out of Legislative Council ballot papers. The commission added, This was near close of polling and voters were advised to wait for more ballot papers to arrive and they were then able to vote shortly after.

Zempilas’s Early Performance Deemed ‘Underwhelming’

meanwhile, early figures from Churchlands suggest a less-than-stellar performance for Liberal candidate Basil Zempilas.Antony Green, a prominent election analyst, described Zempilas’s initial vote share as “underwhelming.”

Green noted, He has an underwhelming 35% of the vote. At this stage, we’re projecting that he’ll get to 40% and the Labor vote will decline to about 30%. he further elaborated on the nuances of the early results, stating, The Liberal vote’s actually down at this stage on those polling places, when the two-party preferred swing, Basil Zempilas is just ahead on our estimate of preferences.

The outcome in Churchlands remains uncertain, hinging considerably on preference votes. Green emphasized the lack of concrete preference data, saying, We have no preference counts for any seats at this stage. The electoral commission is always very cautious before they release any preference counts in any seats and we have none at this stage.

green also pointed out that the decline in the Labor vote wasn’t automatically translating into gains for the Liberal Party. In Churchlands there’s a presence of the Independent there … perhaps the Labor vote is spraying elsewhere on the ballot paper. It’s not going directly across to the Liberal Party, he said.

Libby Mettam’s Leadership under scrutiny

Beyond individual races, the election also casts a spotlight on the leadership of Libby Mettam within the Liberal Party. Federal Liberal MP Andrew Hastie offered a strong endorsement of Mettam,while WA Liberal MP Steve Thomas was more reserved in his assessment.

Hastie lauded Mettam’s efforts, stating, It’s been the toughest political job in Australia. Over the last two or three years, she’s brought the party back from near extinction in 2021. When questioned about a potential leadership change, Hastie affirmed, I think Libby Mettam has done a lot of good work over the last year.

Labor Party Secures Historic Re-election

The re-election of the Labor government is a significant milestone in Western Australian political history. Roger Cook will return as Premier, leading the Labor Party into its next term. The election outcome underscores the party’s strong performance and the public’s confidence in its leadership and policies.

Celebrations erupted at Labor HQ in Kwinana as the results became clear. WA Labor heavyweights, along with family and friends, gathered in Roger Cook’s electorate, eagerly awaiting the final tallies. the atmosphere was charged with anticipation and excitement as supporters watched the ABC’s WA Votes coverage.

Key figures such as current Police Minister paul Papalia and Energy Minister Reece Whitby were among the first to arrive at labor HQ. Sources within the Labor Party indicated that,at worst,they were predicting a loss of between 12 and 18 seats,but were hoping to lose even fewer. Formalities at the party officially commenced, with opening addresses alluding to Roger Cook’s “victory speech” later in the evening.

Election expert Antony Green, from the TV studio, confidently called the election for Labor. His analysis of the numbers suggested a clear path to victory for the incumbent party.

“there is no indication at all of a change of government in these numbers,”

So you’d say on these numbers, the labor Party has been re-elected.

Conservative Parties Fall Short

Going into the election, the Liberal and Nationals parties held a combined total of only five seats in the lower house. This followed a significant setback in the 2021 election, which occurred during the height of the COVID pandemic. The conservative parties had hoped to regain ground, but the election results indicate they will not secure enough seats to form a government.

While the final seat count in the lower house is still being determined,it is evident that the Labor Party has maintained a strong enough majority to govern. The outcome reflects a continued preference among Western Australian voters for Labor’s platform.

ABC TV panellist Steve Thomas, shadow energy minister, expressed disappointment at the prospect of the Liberals only regaining the 12 seats they lost in the 2021 election. He stated:

“so I think 2017 was 12 Liberal seats. We picked up another one in the by-election a few months later,and five national party seats. So,you know,that’s 17 seats,and I would hope that we would get to 20 seats and two thirds of the way to government,at least.”

Challenges in the North and Ballot Shortages

The vast distances in Western Australia’s north presented unique challenges for candidates. In Karratha, Labor MP Kevin Michel cast his vote just minutes before polls closed, not due to long queues or ballot shortages, but as he had to cover 300 kilometers across five towns.

political strategist Kos samaras highlighted the potential impact of ballot shortages, calling it “huge.” He elaborated:

“[It’s] unusual and also detrimental to the people that actually struggle to vote, and that is people who … have got a day job, notably young voters,” he said.

“It’s usually young voters that turn away and just don’t participate in a democracy. So it’s a, it’s an incredibly huge problem.”

samaras emphasized that ballot shortages disproportionately affect young voters and those with demanding work schedules,potentially undermining democratic participation.

Counting Delays and Other Issues

The election on March 8, 2025, faced a series of challenges as votes were being tallied. Reports of ballot paper shortages, counting delays, and accusations of a smear campaign emerged, adding complexity to the electoral process. the WA Electoral Commission acknowledged potential inconveniences due to wait times, but did not directly address the ballot paper issue. Initial vote counts proceeded slower than the 2021 election, where the results were called much faster.

adding to the complications, a power outage struck the Kojonup counting station in WA’s Great Southern region.Liberal MP Steve Thomas reported that officials were unable to count votes until power was restored.This unexpected disruption further delayed the vote counting process in that area.

Former Liberal leader Zak Kirkup revealed that a lack of staff was preventing votes from one polling place from being counted on election night. Speaking on ABC Radio, Kirkup stated that the Electoral Commission informed the Liberal party that votes from the Leschenault Leisure Center would not be counted due to insufficient staffing. This impacted the electorates of Murray-Wellington and Bunbury,leaving a significant portion of votes uncounted.

“The Electoral Commission has informed the Liberal Party that the [Leschenault Leisure Centre], polling place is not going to be counted at all tonight,”

Zak Kirkup

Kirkup further explained the impact of this decision:

“For us, that means it impacts the electorates of Murray-Wellington and Bunbury.So there’s two quite significant chunks of a vote there that they are not being counted as there’s a lack of staff from the Electoral Commissions.”

Zak Kirkup

Pilbara Candidates Battle Heat and Vast Distances

The Pilbara, Western Australia’s fourth-largest electorate, encompassing 11.5 percent of the state’s landmass, presented unique challenges for candidates. Labor MP Kevin Michael described the campaign as “a bit exhausting,” having spent a week early voting in Port Hedland before setting up booths in Karratha, Dampier, Wickham, and Roebourne.

Liberal candidate Amanda Kailis began her day in Port Hedland before flying to Exmouth,while Nationals contender Kieran Dart drove 240km from Port Hedland to Karratha,stopping at polling booths along the way. Dart also noted, “It’s also the heat that gets you,” highlighting the physical demands of campaigning in the region.

Potential Historic Swing

ABC’s chief elections analyst Antony Green, in his last state election before retiring from his on-camera role after the upcoming federal election, emphasized the scale of the challenge facing the opposition. Speaking from the ABC’s Perth studio, Green stated:

“Now we could see at this election the biggest swing in Australian history. We could see a swing of 15 per cent at this election, one of the biggest in history, but it still would deliver Labor a substantial majority. That’s just the size, the scale of the victory last time.”

Despite the potential for a significant swing, Green suggested that Labor’s previous victory was so substantial that they could still retain a majority.

The 2025 western Australia election, held on Saturday, March 8, 2025, was marked by several significant challenges, including reports of ballot paper shortages, a slower vote counting process compared to the 2021 election, and allegations of a smear campaign against a prominent candidate. These issues have raised questions about the integrity and efficiency of the electoral process as the state awaits the final results.

Ballot Paper Shortages Reported Across Perth

Multiple reports surfaced regarding ballot papers running out at polling stations across metropolitan Perth. Voters in several locations,including Scarborough,Shenton Park,Oakford,Forrestfield,Spearwood,and Thornlie,were reportedly turned away due to the lack of available ballot papers. This shortage sparked immediate concern and prompted questions about the preparedness of the WA Electoral Commission.

The WA Electoral Commission acknowledged the reports but did not directly address the extent of the shortages. In a statement to the ABC, the commission stated it “understands wait times may have caused inconvenience and we appreciate your patience and understanding,” but did not confirm or deny the ballot paper shortages. This response has drawn criticism from voters and political figures alike, who are demanding greater transparency and accountability.

Jackson, a voter from Scarborough, told ABC Radio Perth that he was turned away from his local booth because they had run out of ballot papers. former Liberal leader Zak Kirkup described the situation as a “serious situation,” emphasizing the potential impact of the shortages on close races. “The impact that it will have on these tight races like Scarborough, Fremantle — this is not an insignificant progress,” Kirkup stated, highlighting the sensitivity of the situation.

Federal Resources Minister Madeleine King also expressed her dismay, stating, “The thought that people can’t vote is is tragic,” underscoring the basic importance of accessible voting in a democratic society.

Mary,a resident of Spearwood,shared her frustration with ABC Radio Perth,noting that she was still in a queue of several hundred people after the 6 p.m. polling closure. “The point is, I think there were people that wanted to have a vote, and at the end of the day, this is illegal,” she said, reflecting the anger and disappointment felt by many who were unable to exercise their right to vote.

Counting Progress Slower Than in 2021

Adding to the challenges, the vote counting process is reportedly slower compared to the 2021 election. While the process is functioning correctly, reports indicate that the numbers are “dribbling in a bit slower.” In 2021, the ABC’s Chief Election Analyst Antony Green called Labor’s victory within 45 minutes of polls closing. By comparison,at the same point in the evening on March 8,2025,the electoral commission had reported only 1,261 votes.

The slower counting process has led to increased anxiety among candidates and their supporters, as they await the final results. The reasons for the delay are not immediately clear, but officials are working to ensure that every vote is counted accurately and efficiently.

Basil Zempilas Claims “Massive Smear Campaign”

Basil Zempilas, the Liberal candidate for the marginal seat of Churchlands, claims to be the victim of a “massive smear campaign.” Zempilas told ABC Radio that he believes he has been targeted by a million-dollar campaign against him.

“My view is quite seriously, that I’ve been on the receiving end of a million dollar campaign against me,”

Basil Zempilas

He further stated:

“and I think it’s unprecedented. I don’t know that any first time candidate anywhere in Australia will have,would have been targeted the way that I have been.”

Basil Zempilas

Despite the challenges, Zempilas has dismissed questions about potentially taking over the party leadership, stating, “I mean, there is no leadership conversation tonight, that is not being contemplated.” He acknowledged the difficulty the Liberals face in forming a government, admitting, “But we, of course, we all accept the reality it’s a huge mountain to fight, and that result is less likely than likely we get it.”

Keane Bourke,WA’s state political reporter,noted the broader context of the election,stating that a return to normalcy is expected after Mark McGowan’s landslide victory in 2021. Bourke observed:

“This will be a return to normal for both sides of politics.The question is realy how much?

The question for Labor is what they’ve done with that majority. They’ve had unprecedented power in the parliament.

They’ve had budget surpluses other governments would dream of.

How many seats has that [2021 victory] allowed them to convert into kind of longer term safe Labor seats?

Because each one that they lose to the liberals and Nationals makes the fight in 2029 a lot harder.

They’ll have four years for the opposition to mount some of those arguments to try and wear the government down.

So each side will obviously try and spin this as a bit of a win, but there are questions there for both of them.”

The WA Electoral commission’s response to the ballot shortages will be closely scrutinized, and investigations are likely to follow to determine the cause of the problem and prevent similar occurrences in future elections. The incident underscores the importance of robust electoral processes and the need for adequate resources to ensure that every eligible voter can exercise their democratic right.

despite a 10.6% swing against them, Labor secured a two-party-preferred vote of 59.1% compared to the Liberal party’s 40.9%. labor retained a comfortable majority, winning their third consecutive election. Roger Cook remained Premier.

National Party leader and Opposition Leader Shane Love retained his seat in Mid-West, securing 46.2% of the primary vote.His victory was predicted by election analyst Antony Green.

The WA Electoral Commission claimed all eligible voters were able to vote eventually, despite reports of ballot paper shortages, notably Legislative Council ballots, emerged from several polling places (Shenton Park, Spearwood, Forrestfield, and confirmed at St Jerome’s Primary School in Cockburn).