Key facts in the 2019 federal election

ELECTION 2019 KEY POINTS

* Will be a half Senate and full House election, unlike the last election in 2016 when it was a double dissolution.

* Polls show Labor is the favourite, averaging just under 52 per cent of the two-party result.

* To be held under new House of Representatives seat boundaries

* 151 seats instead of current 150, due to population growth

* Victoria (Fraser) and ACT (Bean) gain a seat. SA loses a seat (Port Adelaide; Sitting member Labor's Mark Butler to run in Hindmarsh instead)

* Liberal-Nationals government starts with 74 seats, Labor 69, 7 others - four independent (Andrew Wilkie, Cathy McGowan, Kerryn Phelps, Julia Banks), one Centre Alliance (Rebekha Sharkie), one Green (Adam Bandt), one Katter's Australian Party (Bob Katter). McGowan is retiring.

* Under redrawn boundaries, Labor expected to start favourite in new seats in ACT and Victoria, giving it a two-seat head start.

* 1514 candidates including 458 candidates contesting 40 Senate vacancies and 1056 candidates for the House of Representatives.

* Of the Senate candidates, 280 are males and 178 females, and of the House candidates, there are 714 males, 341 females and one not identified.

* 16.4 million Australians enrolled to vote.

* It is the first major electoral test for Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

* The 2016 election ended in a one-seat majority for the coalition under Malcolm Turnbull.

* Bill Shorten is longest serving opposition leader since Kim Beazley. His seat of Maribyrnong has been made more marginal due to boundary changes.

* Current Senate numbers (76 total): 31 coalition; 26 Labor; 9 Greens; 2 Pauline Hanson's One Nation; 2 Centre Alliance; 1 Liberal Democrats; 1 Derryn Hinch's Justice Party; 1 Australian Conservatives; 1 Katter's Australian Party; 1 United Australia Party; 1 Independent.

* Senators up for re-election (40 total): LNP (15), ALP (13), Greens (6), One Nation (1), Others (5).

* Minor parties will find it harder to win or retain seats as there is a higher vote quota in the half-Senate election than during the double-dissolution election.