Around 96 per cent of eligible Australians (17 million) are enrolled to vote in this year's federal election.
All Australian citizens aged over 18 years are expected to take part in this compulsory voting process and fines can apply if they don't.
The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC), the independent body that runs elections, says Australians have until 8pm on Monday 18 April to enrol.
The AEC estimates there are about 650,000 Australians who are eligible to enrol to vote, but haven't.
How do I vote?
Most voting happens in-person on the day of the election, at polling booths across the country. Booths are set up in buildings such as church halls, school halls, community halls and surf clubs.
However, there are many factors which may restrict a person from attending a polling booth and if casting a ballot in person isn't a possibility for you on election day, there are a number of other ways to vote.
This year's election will also ensure people who are stuck in COVID-19 isolation as a confirmed case or close contact, are not disadvantaged.
The AEC confirmed on Monday it is working on a nation-first telephone voting system for those subject to isolation orders on election day.
Voters who have missed pre-polling and postal vote options will have to make a declaration they're subject to a health order to access the "emergency" measure.
AEC boss Tom Rogers said the declaration would stop people "gumming up" the system for others.
"If we have to read out the Senate ballot paper for people at telephone voting, it's going to take some time," he told ABC Radio on Monday.
"So I urge people to only use that if they are actually subject to that health order. It truly is a contingency measure."
Pre-poll and postal voting
Early votes can be cast at a pre-poll voting centre in person, or citizens can submit a postal vote from 9 May.
"Early voting specifically has been rising in pretty much any jurisdiction around the world that offers it," Australian Electoral Commission's spokesperson Evan Ekin-Smyth told SBS News.
But Adjunct Research Fellow at La Trobe University, Ian Tulloch, told SBS News early voting may change the dynamics of the federal election campaign.
"In the 20 years before early polling, the major parties would often make an announcement in the last week of the campaign to try to tick over those last few votes, now they really have to make those announcements before early polling starts," he said.
Although not as common, postal voting can also be an option.
Applications are open until 6pm the Wednesday before election day.
Ballot papers will be sent via mail and must be completed and returned to the AEC by close of polling day.
However, you are only eligible for a pre-polling or postal vote under certain conditions, including if you'll be more than 8km from a polling place on election day, are travelling, are in hospital or seriously ill or inform, or fear for your safety.
Mr Ekin-Smyth says he expects most people to vote on site.
"Postal voting hasn't risen like early voting has. It has remained stable at about eight per cent of the population casting a postal vote at each election," he said.
"It will probably go up this federal election due to COVID but I don't think it will be as dramatic an increase as some Australians might expect."
The early voting period will run for two weeks leading up to election day on 21 May.
How do I make my vote count?
The lower house of Parliament will be determined at this federal election through preferential voting on or ahead of polling day.
"On the Green ballot paper you've got to number all the boxes from your most favourite candidate to your least favourite candidate and that's really important so follow the instructions on the ballot paper and really think about the order that you want to put the candidates in," Mr Ekin-Smyth advised.
There are 151 divisions across Australia with one member chosen for each and the Prime Minister is selected when members of a political party vote for a leader and that party successfully forms government at an election.
A party needs to win 76 seats to form government.
What is a hung parliament?
Some academics are reporting that a hung parliament is possible this year but that all depends on the vote count and outcome.
A hung parliament occurs when no party or coalition of parties has a majority in the House of Representatives.
"It would come down to the number of independents, there are seven at the moment. The independents would then determine which of the major parties form government," Mr Tulloch said.
Griffith University Associate Professor Paul Williams says a hung parliament relies on minor party crossbench support.
"A government needs to collate 76 seats together. Ironically that is what Scott Morrison's Liberal-National coalition is sitting on at the moment, they want to raise the majority," he told SBS News.
"If they had lost a seat say earlier in the year and we had a by-election and Labor had won it, that would see the typically go into minority government and it would officially be a hung parliament."
Voting on election day, 21 May, will start at 8am and close at 6pm.
You can also call the AEC on 13 23 26 for more information.
