By Charlie Moore For Daily Mail Australia
Published: 03:11 BST, 17 May 2019 | Updated: 03:18 BST, 17 May 2019
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Australia is among only a dozen countries that enforce compulsory voting - and the consequences of failing to cast a ballot can be more serious than people believe.
Citizens who fail to vote can be fined and those who do not pay can have their driving licences taken away or even be forced to do community service.
The fine for not voting in the federal election is $20. But it can get much worse than that.
Beachgoers from the electoral district of Coogee vote at the Bondi Beach Surf Club in Sydney in 2007
The Electorial Commission South Australia posted this image to show the penalties for not paying the fine
If a voter fails to pay the modest fine, the figure racks up in stages to a maximum of $180.
If they still fail to pay, the Australian Electoral Commission can take them to court to force them to cough up.
This happened in 2016 to Darwin pensioner Frank Bost who refused to vote on principle.
He pleaded guilty to violating section 245 of the Commonwealth Electoral Act of 1918 and was ordered to pay $308 which included the fine and the AEC's legal fees.
The Australian Electoral Commission website says: 'Anyone who chooses not to pay the court-ordered fine will be dealt with by the Court accordingly, and this may involve community service orders, seizure of goods, or other court imposed sanctions.'
It can get more even more serious than that.
When Tasmanian woman Emma Louise Pearce failed to vote at the 2016 federal election, it ended with her getting slapped with a criminal conviction.
Ms Pearce was
