Adam Jacobson lives in a marginal seat which both major parties are desperate to win.
The seat of Leichhardt, in Far North Queensland, could be vital for Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton in their quest for victory.
But they can't count on Mr Jacobson's vote.
Nor can any of the other candidates.
The 46-year-old, who works in health technology, says he cannot, in all conscience, vote for any of the people standing for election to the next federal government.
"I feel like I would be directing my vote in a direction that somehow damages Australia," he said.
"I am embarrassed to say I think I have no choice but to literally write on the form, 'intentionally informal.'"
He is one of many voters who, in the final days before the federal election, have told the ABC's Your Say about their intentions at the ballot box this weekend.
From Cairns to Perth, the Gold Coast to Tasmania, and the suburbs of Melbourne, Adelaide and Sydney, voters have shared the issues that impacted their decisions this year.
'Sickened' by career politics
The seat of Leichhardt is held by the Liberals with a tiny margin of 3.4 per cent. Warren Entsch, first elected in the seat in 1996, has retired.
"I feel completely disillusioned in the capabilities and quality of our modern governments and am sickened by the lack of real-life experience of the career politicians," Mr Jacobson said.
He has a unique perspective on the policies of both major parties when it comes to health, mental health and Medicare.
His wife is a GP and his younger brother, who had battled mental health problems for several years, recently took his own life.
All he sees is tinkering around the edges and a narrative that blames "greedy GPs".
The ALP has pledged an $8.5 billion spend over four years, promising that nine out of 10 GP visits will be free by the end of the decade. The Coalition has matched the pledge.
"I think the Albanese government was elected [in 2022] in the hope that bold reforms to Medicare would take place to restore patients' ability to form a long-lasting, affordable relationship with a GP," Mr Jacobson said.
"We're instead seeing the system being fragmented and, in effect, healthcare provision experiments being conducted to appease interest groups and avoid reform."
Nuclear 'against my values'
Norriel Stotter has plenty of life experience. The 74-year-old retired social worker and school teacher has been a lifelong Liberal voter.
But this election she will be voting Labor.
Ms Stotter is in the newly-created West Australian seat of Bullwinkel, covering Perth's outer east and the Avon Valley.
The seat, being contested for the first time next weekend, is notionally Labor but on a slim margin of 3.3 per cent.
Ms Stotter said that despite her past as a Liberal voter, she now finds leader Peter Dutton's policies do not align with her own values.
And she feels conflicted because she personally likes the Nationals' candidate in the seat.
"I can't vote for her because that's going to be a vote for Peter Dutton," she said.
Ms Stotter says she does not agree with the Coalition's nuclear policy to build seven nuclear power plants across five states.
"I find Peter Dutton, his nuclear policy, the personal attacks and following Mr Trump with slogans are against all my values and means the Liberals lose my vote," she said.
'Stop slinging mud at each other'
In Queensland, for the first time in her life, Chris Caldwell, has no idea which way to cast her vote.
"I am really disillusioned. I have probably always been a Liberal, ultimately because I always felt they managed money better," the 61-year-old from Pimpama, 30km north of Queensland's Surfers Paradise.
"Neither party has a plan that leads us to a better future, just bandaid solutions that we all pay the price for long term.
"I feel like we have had three years to prepare for this [election] and neither of the parties has done their due diligence. I am just really disillusioned, and I find it really disappointing."
Ms Caldwell fears for the future of her children.
Her 28-year-old son has moved home to because he can't secure a rental below $650 a week and there are 70 people at every rental viewing he attends.
"Housing is a really complicated issue and needs bi-partisan federal, state and council level support as well as a trade plan to create a real solution," Ms Caldwell said.
"Stop slinging mud at each other and work together to address the key issues."
Originally from the Unites States, Ms Caldwell is a former retail executive. She is currently doing a PhD on embedding artificial intelligence into retail front lines.
'Neither will be getting my vote ever again'
Cheryle Hislop retired in March. At 67, she is living in a caravan in Western Australia because she cannot find an affordable rental option.
As an older woman she feels disenfranchised by what she describes as "decades of housing policy failure".
When her rent went from $300 a week to $750, which she couldn't afford, she bought a cheap caravan, did some repairs and "hit the road".
She hopes that by the time she reaches her native Tasmania she will be able to find a rental under $400 a week.
Ms Hislop, who has a PhD in international environmental marine law and policy, previously worked for a state Labor MP.
"But neither major party will be getting my vote ever again," Ms Hislop said.
Homelessness is a big issue for her — and she doesn't buy the housing policy of either side.
The Coalition has promised tax-deductible mortgage interest for first-home buyers on the first $650,000 of a mortgage, and allowing first home buyers to access up to $50,000 of their superannuation.
Labor says it will allow first home buyers to buy with a 5 per cent deposit without the need for Lenders Mortgage Insurance and committed $10 billion to build 100,000 homes over eight years exclusively for purchase by first home buyers.
"Both will just push house prices up," Ms Hislop said.
This election she thinks she will probably vote for an independent.
Mum burdened by $150,000 HECS debt
In Melbourne, in Bob Hawke's old seat of Wills, millennial Olivia Grabau feels "ripped off by successive governments".
The 31-year-old, who has an undergraduate degree and a masters, has a $150,000 HECS debt which she has barely begun paying off, twins aged two-and-a-half, and is pregnant with her third child.
She now works in university administration — and not her degree field, law — because she finished her degree in the thick of the COVID pandemic and found it difficult to secure work.
Now, the money her and her partner would be saving for a house goes to childcare fees and HECS debts.
Ms Grabau has always been a left-leaning voter.
"I am voting Greens this election as they are the only party whose policies directly address the political issues that are keeping me and my family from getting ahead and living comfortably," Ms Grabau said.
'Hedging their bets around Donald Trump'
In South Australia, Trish Aukett has been a life-long Labor voter. But the ALP won't get her vote this time.
Ms Aukett lives in the safe Labor-held seat of Adelaide, where there are seven candidates on the ballot paper.
"This time around I'll probably vote for the Greens. Their stronger stance on social justice issues as well as protection of the environment are the determining issues," she said.
"And I'm tired of the current leaders hedging their bets around Donald Trump."
Steven Tulenheimo, in the safe ALP seat of Kingsford Smith in Sydney, has always been a Labor voter.
But not this time.
"I feel Labor is moving away from its traditional core values that defined it as a working-class party," the 59-year-old, who works for Sydney buses, said.
"Cost of living is going up, insurance is going up, rents are going up but income is at an all-time low.
"The Liberals are hopelessly out of touch with the working class and there are no teals in my area."
He will probably vote independent this weekend.
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