Early voting for the Australian federal election kicked off on Tuesday, as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's center-left Labor party maintains a narrow lead over the conservative coalition, led by Peter Dutton. A rise in early and postal voting trends could result in half of eligible Australians casting ballots before the May 3 election date, as per Australia's election commission data. The election's onset matches a dip in popularity for Dutton, largely due to his perceived ideological alignment with U.S. President Donald Trump. Dutton recently withdrew a controversial proposal requiring federal employees to return to full-time office work, a move seen as echoing policies from the Trump era. Meanwhile, recent polling shows Albanese closing the gap swiftly, overturning a six-point deficit to gain a lead of up to nine points this month. (With inputs from agencies.)