Your vote is important. It'll be another four years until you get to have your say about who has the top job at a state level.
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Even the way you use your preference vote can send a message to the eventual winner.
There is always an election postmortem.
For example, if Nationals MP Kevin Anderson retains his seat, however notices in Gunnedah his first preference vote dropped, that's a clear message from the residents that while they favour him, they want to see more from him and the party.
Both history and research shows that marginal and swinging seats always get more. Tamworth has a long history of swinging back and forth between independents and the Nationals.
This can only be a positive for the electorate - if the National Party isn't performing, there is always a strong independent waiting in the wings, and if the independent falters, the Nationals are there to pick up the slack.
They hold each other to account.
But based off the 2015 election results, it would be difficult to call the electorate of Tamworth a marginal seat. The Nationals hold a 10 per cent majority, there is little doubt they see it as a safe seat.
But is that changing?
Mr Anderson has dropped some big election promises including $53 million for Gunnedah hospital and $10 million for Werris Creek Road. No doubt this has come about due to strong political competition.
Shooters, Fishers and Farmers candidate Jeff Bacon made both those issues a key part of his election platform. Did the Nationals spend big to nullify him? Political competition always results in dollars being dropped.
Mr Anderson is also fending of a strong challenge from independent Mark Rodda, a Tamworth councillor who secured the most votes in his last local government election.
Cr Rodda, a former Nationals member himself, embodies the dissatisfaction and disillusionment with big party politics. He's promised to bring the people back into politics, with a focus on the community and not the vested interests that donate to parties.
Even Labor, which has traditionally struggled to get a foothold in the Tamworth electorate, is seeing a rise in support.
Candidate Stephen Mears said this year, people were much more open to the party's message.
It's shaping up to be a close race and your vote could, quite literally, decide it.
