Decision time

For the bulk of us, this will likely be our polling place in Saturday's forthcoming federal fun and games...

In case you didn't know, there are nine candidates standing for the House of Representatives (in alphabetical order):

• Steven ARMSTRONG (Stable Population Party)
• Ann BIRRELL (The Greens)
• Michael DANBY (Australian Labor Party)
• Kevin EKENDAHL (Liberal Party)
• Robert KEENAN (Family First)
• Margaret QUINN (Rise Up Australia)
• Melissa STAR (Australian Sex Party)
• Vince STEFANO (Democratic Labour Party)
• Toby Simon STODART (Palmer United Australia)

Things are rather more complicated in the Senate election, with a meter long ballot paper required to accommodate the 97 candidates. This great cartoon provides a friendly reminder of why the preference system is actually a good thing. Fortunately this handy drag and drop preference planner means that going "below the line" needn't be as daunting as it first seems.