IT'S no secret that penalties apply to people who are enrolled and don't vote in elections, but there is an even greater reason to vote that just avoiding a fine.
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By voting, you are having a say in the leadership of your country, which is something a lot of people around the world are missing out on.
Calare candidates have encouraged people to get out to vote, to take the ballot paper seriously and be part of democracy.
"It's vital that people exercise their democratic right to vote," The Nationals' Andrew Gee said.
"So many other countries don't have that right, so it's really important we exercise it and its something that we should all be grateful for.
"While sometimes we probably get sick of elections, there are other countries that don't have any elections or if they do, they are not free or fair.
"It's one of the great things about Australia, our system of voting gives everyone the opportunity to participate and to participate equally."
Labor's Jess Jennings said today's federal election in particular was the kind that was "once in a generation", saying the nature of some cuts proposed had to be taken into consideration by the voters.
He also encouraged people to remember the importance of Australia's democracy.
"I think our democracy is our founding principle, to have a democratic system," he said.
"Because we are a relatively young country, we have been able to glean the benefits of the Westminster system and haven't had to go through centuries of nation state battles or civil wars.
"We've obviously had frontier wars with the Aboriginals, but our democracy today is priceless."
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Under federal electoral law, it is compulsory for all eligible Australian citizens to enrol and vote in federal elections, by-elections and referendums.
Failure to vote at a federal election, without a valid and sufficient reason, is an offence under section and will result in a $20 penalty.
To find out more about the candidates for the seat of Calare, click here.