Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is getting ready to kickstart the federal election campaign on Friday, with voters expected to go to the polls on May 3.

Albanese’s departmental officials jumped the gun today, accidentally sharing a post on social media platform X about the caretaker conventions for the election campaign.

The post was quickly removed.

Sources within Labor and the Coalition are confident Albanese will visit Governor-General Sam Mostyn tomorrow, after previously delaying the start of the formal campaign due to ex-tropical cyclone Alfred last month.

The PM will likely hold a press conference soon after visiting Yarralumla and asking Mostyn to dissolve parliament.

Announcing the poll date on Friday would also help Labor crowd out news from Peter Dutton’s budget reply speech on Thursday night.

Campaign teams from both sides have been ready to go for weeks, and journalists from the Canberra press gallery are ready to travel with Albanese and Dutton from Saturday morning.

Albanese could opt for a longer campaign, holding off the election date until May 10 or May 17.

Labor has its election headquarters in Surry Hills, in inner city Sydney, while Coalition HQ will be in Parramatta.