For any small political party, life in the shadow of Australia's major parties can seem a daunting task.
But a raft of new start-up parties are vying for public attention.
The deadline passed in May for parties to register for the poll.
A number of these will be hoping to lure votes from Labor, the Coalition and the Greens.
Darren Mara takes a look at some of these new political start-ups and the challenges they face.
New political parties are on a mission: to appeal to the disaffected voters they say are fed up with the major parties.
Their policies and goals are varied: some call for more multiculturalism others less immigration, some for animal rights others for more live animal exports - and the contrasts go on.
But one thing most small parties agree on, is that Australian voters are wholly dissatisfied with the current quality of political debate in the country.
Mark Pearson is a candidate in New South Wales for the Animal Justice Party, which is contesting its first ever election this year on an animal rights platform.
Mr Pearson has accused the major parties of "immaturity" on key national issues.
Above all, he says, voters are frustrated.
"So out of that frustration we're seeing an over-riding interest from average Australians wanting to try different ways of bringing better governance to Australia. That's why I think smaller parties are forming and feeling confident about possibly having some impact on the next election."
The founder of the only Indigenous party contesting this year says this frustration was the main reason he decided to register for the September election.
The chairman of the Northern Territory's Central Land Council, Maurie Japarta Ryan, says his Australian First Nations Political Party can be a voice for all Indigenous Australians.
"In 112 years, there has not been a voice of the first nation's political party or the first nation's people in this country. The voices you have heard are voices of the Liberal Nationals, Neville Bonner, Aden Ridgeway, Democrats, now (Liberal) Ken Wyatt."
Mr Ryan says Territorians have been neglected by successive federal governments and he's calling for statehood for the Northern Territory, as well for Aboriginal sovereignty.
He concedes however that getting his message out has been tough.
Compared to the major parties, small parties such as Mr Ryan's often struggle to raise funds for election campaigns.
That's why some new parties say they're banding together to capitalise on each other's voter bases.
Adrian Bradley heads the newly formed Bank Reform Party, which plans to contest in the Senate in most states on a platform of more competition in the banking, supermarket and fuel sectors.
Mr Bradley says there's a drive amongst the small parties to avoid preferencing the mainstays of federal politics.
"We've already had meetings with a number of the minority parties to talk about preferencing each other so there's a chance that one of us will get up on the shoulders of the others and in this election I think it's quite possible in the Senate because it's going to be quite wide open given the votes that are going to be flowing away from the ALP and the Greens."
Mr Bradley says this year's federal election has seen small parties offer broader policy platforms, rather than "single-issue" campaigns as in the past.
Jason McKenzie, the founder of the curiously named Lamington Party, says it's been his goal to present policies on a variety of national issues.
Setting aside its playful name, Mr McKenzie says the Lamington Party wants to fast-track investment in fast rail, end mandatory detention, recognise Indigenous people in the constitution and reform the tax system.
"We're not a single-policy party. We are trying to put out a platform around equality, sustainability and innovation. We've put out a number of initiatives. One of them is a billion-dollar start-up fund, really to invest in tomorrow's enterprises for agricultural business, for technology, for creativity, because we think in the 21st century those are really going to be the things that help Australia stand out and drive the Australian economy."
But not all new parties this year are battling perceived anonymity.
A number have at their helm prominent personalities or advocates of both national and international fame.
These include Katter's Australian Party, headed by independent MP Bob Katter; and the renamed Palmer United Party, launched this year by mining magnate Clive Palmer.
Also vying for a place on ballot papers is the WikiLeaks Party of Julian Assange, which is putting candidates forward for Western Australia and New South Wales.
Mr Assange, who's still holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy in London, will contest a Senate seat for Victoria.
WikiLeaks Party campaign director Greg Barnes says the party is about more than just helping Mr Assange leave the Ecuadorian embassy freely.
He says Australians agree with its party platform of more transparency in government.
"That's the anecdotal feedback we get from people, is that they are looking for an alternative, and they're certainly looking for an alternative like the WikiLeaks Party that doesn't represent more of the same. You've got two main parties which have shown a scant regard for human rights protections for Australians. Both parties are perpetuated by deal-making and using the parliament as a rubber stamp. The WikiLeaks Party stands for a set of values which is the antithesis of that."
