If, at more than a year long, the race to elect the president of the United States is an ultramarathon, Australia’s campaign season is a sprint.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison of Australia fired the proverbial starting pistol on Thursday, declaring a federal election for May 18 and kicking off a 38-day dash to the ballot box counting today and Election Day.

“There is so much at stake at this election,” Mr. Morrison said at a news conference in Canberra, emphasizing his party’s platform focused on economic issues and tax cuts.

“There is more to do,” he added, “and a lot has got done.”

It’s still not clear exactly how many days of campaigning will be allowed; the Labor Party leader, Bill Shorten, has called for a campaigning ban on at least two holidays between now and Election Day.