Voters in the Victorian electorate of Dunkley will head to the polls in March, as the federal government faces its first major test of public opinion in 2024.
The date for the by-election for the seat on the Mornington Peninsula has been set for March 2.
The by-election was triggered by the death of former MP Peta Murphy in December, following a long battle with cancer.
Labor has announced community leader Jodie Belyea as its candidate for the seat, while the coalition has preselected Frankston mayor Nathan Conroy.
Voters in the electorate will have until February 5 to update their details with the Australian Electoral Commission.
Labor had held Dunkley since 2019, with Ms Murphy recording a more than 3.5 per cent swing at the last federal election to hold the electorate by a 6.2 per cent margin.
However, the standard trend of a four to five per swing against a government at a by-election is expected to see the upcoming poll be a tight contest between the major parties.
It will be the third by-election of the current term of federal parliament, following polls in 2022 in the Melbourne seat of Aston and the Gold Coast electorate of Fadden.