Australians Go to the Polls on November 24

The Australian Federal election has been called. Prime Minister John Howard has visited Government House, the official Canberra residence of the Australian Governor-General, to ask the Queen's representative in Australia to dissolve the Lower House of the current Federal Parliament and hold elections on November 24.

In calling the election, the Prime Minister and the Coalition — comprising Liberal and National Party members — face an uphill battle as a recent series of opinion polls had indicated a win for the Opposition Labor Party led by its Leader, Kevin Rudd, on a two-party preferred basis.

The Coalition holds a 24-seat majority in the Lower House of Federal Parliament. There are a total of 150 seats in the Lower House. Labor must win at least 16 Lower House seats from the Coalition to form government in its own right.

Under the Australian Parliamentary system of government, the party achieving a majority in the Lower House of Federal Parliament forms government, and the party then elects the party Leader as the country's Prime Minister.

The November 24 election will be for all 150 seats in the Lower House and half the number of seats in the Senate or Upper House.

Photo: Australian Prime Minister John Howard. Sandra Mu / Getty Images