With the federal election due on September 7 many Australians will be able to vote for the first time - but to do so they must be on the electoral roll.
The Australian Electoral Commission estimates some 1.4 million eligible voters have not yet enrolled.
They have until close of business on August 12 to become enrolled to vote.
Kerri Worthington reports.
In Australia, enrolling to vote at federal elections is compulsory for people who are over 18 years old and are Australian citizens.
Enrolment forms are available from any post office or state electoral office.
Australian Electoral Commission director Phil Diak says all people need to do is fill in the form and get another person already on the electoral roll to witness the application.
Alternatively he says people can fill in a form on the AEC's website.
Mr Diak says the Electoral Commission provides interpreters and information about voting in more than 17 languages other than English.
"For people for whom English is not their first language, the AEC has instructions for how to enrol on their website. Or, if you have the need to discuss it further, you can call 13 23 26, and and we'll be happy to help. We can connect you to a translation service."
Mr Diak says it's important to enrol as soon as possible.
He says since the last election many people have moved, turned 18 or become Australian citizens and they need to make sure they are on the roll.
"Currently, there are around 1.4 million people missing from the electoral roll, and a third of these are aged between 18 and 24. To put a number around it, over 800,000 people will be newly entitled to vote at the coming election. At the moment, around one in two 18-year-olds and one in three 19-year-olds are not on the electoral roll. So I urge young people to take action and enrol to vote now."
Australian citizens working in Antarctica can enrol to vote but are not required to.
The homeless can vote if they manage to provide an address where they were last eligible to enrol or where their next of kin is enrolled.
People serving a full-time prison sentence of less than three years can enrol and vote in federal elections.
If the sentence is three years or longer, prisoners can remain on the roll but are not entitled to vote until they are released from prison.
People convicted of treason or treachery who have not been pardoned are not eligible to enrol.
Mr Diak makes it clear that if you are not yet an Australian citizen, you are not entitled to put your name on the electoral role.
"Permanent residents aren't entitled to enrol to vote. You do need to be an Australian citizen. There is an exception, that goes back many years, when Australians, I should say people who were British subjects or British citizens who were on the electoral roll on Australia Day 1984, some of those retained an entitlement to voting in Australian elections, but ever since then you do need to be an Australian citizen to qualify to enrol to vote."
People who are bedridden or unable to get to a post office and do not have computers can ring the Electoral Commission and have enrolment forms sent to them.
The commission's website is at www.aec.gov.au or people can phone the information line on 13 23 26.
Additionally, people can ask for the telephone interpreter service.
Telephone Interpreter Services:
Arabic 1300 720 132
Cantonese 1300 720 135
Croatian 1300 720 136
Greek 1300 720 137
Italian 1300 720 138
Khmer 1300 720 134
Korean 1300 720 468
Macedonian 1300 720 139
Mandarin 1300 720 142
Polish 1300 720 143
Portuguese 1300 720 145
Russian 1300 720 146
Serbian 1300 720 147
Spanish 1300 720 148
Turkish 1300 720 149
Vietnamese 1300 720 152
All other languages 1300 720 153
