The 2019 federal election will cost about $300 million but the man in charge says it's good value for money.
Before voter enrolments close on Thursday night, electoral commissioner Tom Rogers said he expected there to be just under 16.4 million people on the roll for the May 18 election.
That worked out to be about $18 per voter, he said, which was good value given that voters are offered a wide range of ways to cast their ballot and the election itself would involve 80,000 polling officials and other staff stationed across the world.
"This will be the largest election in Australia's history," he told reporters at a briefing on Thursday.
"It's like setting up a Fortune 500 company with about four weeks notice and then dismantling it two days after the event."
Almost one in three voters are expected to cast their ballots early, with the pre-poll/postal vote rate rising from 13 per cent 12 years ago to 31 per cent at the last election.
Extra security measures have been put in place with a high-level task force involving federal police, ASIO and cyber experts keeping watch on foreign hackers or other interference.
The measures were trialled during the Super Saturday by-elections and the NSW state election.
As well, Facebook, Twitter and other online giants are working with the Australian Electoral Commission to quickly take down disinformation.
The AEC has received 15 formal complaints regarding social media postings so far during the federal election campaign which began last week.
Three warnings have been sent to people over Facebook pages while four requests had been made to Facebook to remove content.
The AEC is also working with Deakin University on new methods to reduce queues on polling day, including more poll booths and mini-queues within polling stations.
The electoral roll closes at 8pm on Thursday, with candidate nominations due by April 23 and early voting starting on April 29.
Australian Associated Press
