There’s more at stake than your democracy sausage if you don’t enrol to vote or update your details on the electoral roll by 8pm local time tonight.

To be eligible to have your say at the polling booths next month, Australians must be enrolled to vote.

By law, it is compulsory for all Australian citizens aged 18 to enrol and vote in the federal election.

First-time voters who turn 18 before the election date must enrol to vote on the Australian Electoral Commission’s website or the AEC federal election app.

The deadline for paper enrolments has officially closed.

According to the AEC, almost 500,000 people were not enrolled to vote when the roll was checked in February.

Even if you have previously voted, you must update your details if you have moved or changed your name since the last election.

Check your eligibility with these quick links

To check if you are on the electoral roll click here.

If you turn 18 before May 18, or have never registered to vote, you can do so here.

If you have changed your address and lived at your current residence for one month, change your electoral details here.

Electoral commissioner Tom Rodgers said Australians needed to be enrolled to participate in the upcoming election to avoid penalties.

“Enrolling and voting is compulsory. If you are not enrolled, you can’t vote in the 2019 federal election,” he said.

“A record 96.5 per cent of eligible Australians are currently enrolled, which is an extraordinary achievement.

“At the same time, there are still people who remain unenrolled who need to take action before the deadline of 8pm.”

All eligible Australians are due to head to the polls on May 18, unless they have already voted by post or at an AEC office.

The AEC’s key dates for the 2019 federal election (all time are local times):

• Close of rolls: 8pm, Thursday, April 18, 2019
• Close of candidate nominations: Midday, Tuesday April 23, 2019
• Declaration of candidate nominations: Midday, Wednesday April 24, 2019
• Early voting starts: Monday, April 29, 2019
• Election day: Saturday, May 18, 2019
• Return of writs: on or before Friday, June 28, 2019

For more information on why you should enrol, watch this video: