Key dates for general elections 1981 - 2011

	1981	1984	1987	1990	1993	1996	1999	2002	2005	2008	2011
Prime Minister announced election date	28 Sep	14 Jun	30 Jun	9 Aug	14 Sep	21 May	26 Sep	11 Jun	25 Jul	12 Sep	2 Feb
Last sitting day of Parliament	23 Oct	14 Jun	21 Jul	6 Sep	23 Sep	27 Aug	5 Oct	13 Jun	2 Aug	23 Sep	6 Oct
Parliament dissolved	29 Oct	15 Jun	21 Jul	10 Sep	30 Sep	6 Sep	18 Oct	18 Jun	11 Aug	3 Oct	20 Oct
Writ Day	29 Oct	18 Jun	22 Jul	20 Sep	7 Oct	12 Sep	27 Oct	25 Jun	17 Aug	8 Oct	26 Oct
Nomination Day	5 Nov	21 Jun	25 Jul	4 Oct	14 Oct	18 Sep	3 Nov	2 Jul	23 Aug	14 Oct	1 Nov
Advance voting commenced	5 Nov	21 Jun	25 Jul	4 Oct	14 Oct	23 Sep	9 Nov	10 Jul	31 Aug	22 Oct	9 Nov
Election day (Saturday)	28 Nov	14 Jul	15 Aug	27 Oct	6 Nov	12 Oct	27 Nov	27 Jul	17 Sept	8 Nov	26 Nov
Last day for return of writ (& 3 year term of Parliament commenced)	18 Dec	3 Aug	10 Sep	9 Nov	26 Nov	1 Nov	16 Dec	14 Aug	6 Oct	27 Nov	15 Dec
Publication of Gazette notice declaring list MPs elected						14 Nov	20 Dec	15 Aug	7 Oct	27 Nov	17 Dec
Opening of Parliament	11 Mar 1982	15 Aug	16 Sep	28 Nov	21 Dec	12 Dec	20 Dec	26 Aug	7 Nov	8 Dec	21 Dec