WA Election 2025: Albany candidates cast votes and make last pitch to voters at the polls on election day

Albany’s candidates for the Lower House have been busy on election day, travelling across the electorate to secure last-minute votes.

Labor incumbent Rebecca Stephens arrived at the Albany Town Hall at midday with husband Darcy and their children Maggie, 12, and Fergus, 14, to cast her vote.

Ms Stephens said it was great to see so many voters out on election day as she met Labor campaign volunteers outside the town hall.

“We started in Mt Barker this morning and it was pretty busy out there and then I’ve just been up at Flinders Park and it was busy there too, there’s sausages going and the cake stalls, so that’s very good to see,” she said.

“Lots of different conversations this morning, lots of people with their kids out voting, which I was a bit worried that because a lot of people early-voted that they wouldn’t have the opportunity to take their kids out to show them what voting looks like.”

Ms Stephens said health had been the biggest issue in the election.

“We’ve been out campaigning and door-knocking for the past six months, pretty solidly, so definitely health was one of the issues that did come up, which is why we really fought hard for the $60 million for the Albany Health campus for 30 extra beds and 60 new jobs,” she said.

“That was one of the biggest issues that did really come up when we were out door-knocking, which was why it was really important to me that we were able to get that commitment.”

Asked if the ban on live sheep export came up with residents, Ms Stephens said it was important to differentiate between State and Federal Labor policies.

“It definitely was not on the doors as much as I thought it would be,” she said.

Nationals candidate Scott Leary was also at the town hall with a small team of volunteers, handing out leaflets to voters as they headed into the polling booth.

Mr Leary said he was feeling good about the day and that his energy was “still up” as midday rolled around.

“We started in Mt Barker this morning, it bucketed down rain, and then we’ve headed back here,” he said.

“There’s a lot of people around, and there a lot of happy people actually, it’s good to see people out voting.”

When asked how this election campaign had been different to the last one — when he ran as the Liberal contender — Mr Leary said voters were arriving at the polls with their minds made up.

“Yeah, everybody’s got a story to tell behind their vote, and it’s interesting because the voting style probably changed a little bit,” he said.

“There’s a lot more information available online before voting so more people are coming directly to vote and they’ve already made their minds up.

“They’re probably more confident this time that they know who they’re voting for than in previous elections I’ve seen.”

The director of Albany City Motors said the election issues were fairly basic but essential.

“Cost of living is obviously an issue, and we can do what we can rectify that, housing, roads, all the basics we need to get back to fixing, which doesn’t make the job easier, but it gives you a clearer direction,” he said.

“The Nationals are traditionally a region-focused party, but because of my business background I’m fully across what we need for the cities as well, so that’s Mt Barker and Albany has big regional centres, I know what we need.”

Earlier at the town hall on Saturday, Greens candidate and former Legislative Council member Lynn MacLaren said she was “hoping for a good result” at the end of Saturday’s vote count and reflected on the diversity of support she received throughout her “short but effective” campaign for the Albany seat.

“I woke up this morning to text messages from people saying, thank you for speaking up for the environment because no one else is,” she said.

“When people come up to me to tell me they’re voting green, that’s made me feel much more at home here now, and my sense of belonging, which I already had here in Albany has only deepened through this campaign.”

Liberal candidate Thomas Brough declined to speak to media, but posted online throughout his day, which started at the town hall before visits to Porongurup, Kendenup and Mt Barker.