Australians began voting Saturday in a bitterly contested general election, deciding a contest shaped by living costs, climate anxiety and US President Donald Trump's tariffs.

From dusty desert towns to sun-splashed harbour cities, millions of Australians will choose between left-leaning incumbent Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and conservative challenger Peter Dutton.

The almost universal consensus across a slew of opinion polls leading up to election day was that Albanese's governing Labor Party would win a second term.

"I'll leave nothing on the field over the next three years if I'm re-elected as Australia's prime minister," Albanese told Channel Seven on Saturday morning.

"I'm hopeful that we receive a majority government today so that we can build on the foundations that we've laid. Australia has turned the corner."

The first polls opened at 8:00 am (2200 GMT) on Australia's east coast, to be followed later by the country's western cities and far-flung island territories.

A total of 18.1 million voters have........

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