With an unprecedented number of federal election candidates tossed aside over the last week, perhaps it might be best to wait until election day to cast your vote.
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Even if you won't be in town on election day maybe it's best to wait and see what mud gets slung at who, and what sticks.
Dirt digging has become as much a part of our election campaigns as candidate forums and photo opportunities. The rise of Facebook, Twitter and other sites has made it all the more easy to dig up something capable of downing a candidate and embarrassing their leader.
Labor's Melbourne candidate Luke Creasey quit after apologising for making a rape joke seven years ago, Liberal candidate Peter Killin quit after admitting trying to prevent gay people from being elected or influencing the party, and Liberal candidate Jeremy Hearn was dumped over anti-Muslim comments.
Liberal candidate Jessica Whelan also resigned after making anti-Muslim posts online, now infamous One Nation member Steve Dickson quit over a strip club scandal, and Labor's NT Senate candidate Wayne Kurnorth was disendorsed after anti-Semitic posts were exposed.
If the Michael Daley video scandal from the last week of the state election was anything to go by, then rest assured there may still be some dirt bombs left in the pockets of diggers, just waiting for the right time to be dropped on the campaign.
Sure it's unlikely to damage any of our candidates personally, but what has come out over the last week will disturb many voters.
Pre-polling also advantages the major parties who have more resources and more colourful volunteers ready to confront you and sway you in their direction.
The Australian Electoral Commission expects close to two million Australians will cast their vote early this election, and an Australian Election Study on the 2016 election found 42 per cent of voters made their decision during the campaign.
The University of Melbourne's School of Mathematics and Statistics found pre-poll voters in Wentworth were making their decisions almost in real time, based on media coverage.
Voting early means you are taking a gamble on what will happen over the next fortnight, with election day now essentially just the last day you are allowed to vote.
