Britain's shock decision to leave the European Union is expected to make Australians think twice about voting for minor parties or independents on Saturday.
Political analysts see some parallels between the federal election and the British referendum in terms of voter preconceptions about the final result.
Amid the fallout from the UK's vote for a "Brexit", many voters who backed Britain leaving the EU have said they had expected the remain campaign to win.
Analysts here believe many Australians could feel the same ahead of Saturday's election and be planning to vote for an independent or minor party because they assume the Liberal-National coalition will be returned to power.
Professor Paul Pickering, dean of ANU's College of Arts and Social Sciences, says the shock Brexit result could make Aussie voters rethink.
"People might be less inclined to protest vote thinking that may change the outcome in case the outcome is something they didn't anticipate," he told AAP.
"The question then is who is the loser in that shift? Will it be Labor or the minor parties? People likely to vote Labor might also go back to the coalition on the basis of the traditional belief in the electorate that the coalition are better managers of the economy."
Recent opinion polls have shown that more than 20 per cent of voters intend to vote "other" instead of Labor, Liberal or National.
But against that backdrop there is economic uncertainty swirling around the globe courtesy of the Brexit vote that was delivered amid anger over immigration issues and deprivation.
Dr Mark Triffitt, a public policy lecturer at the Melbourne School of Government, believes Australia is heading for its own Brexit moment, but not quite yet.
He says the disenchantment with politics is as evident here as in the UK and the US, which has witnessed the spectacular rise of billionaire businessman Donald Trump in the presidential race.
"There may be circumstances in the last couple of weeks with Brexit that makes people gravitate back to the perceived security of the major parties but that won't erase or address the increasing sour mood in the electorate," he said.
"Even if Saturday's result reflects people thinking twice about a particular issue or their vote, it won't make too much difference to the longer-term trend that people in Australia are angry like in the UK and US about the political class letting them down."
Dr Triffitt said part of independent senator Nick Xenophon's popularity stems from a reaction to Australia's political establishment, similar to that in the UK and US where voters have gravitated to outsiders like Brexit campaigner Boris Johnson and Mr Trump.
