Tasmania's Electoral Commissioner likens organising an election to putting on a theatre production — one that costs $3.5 million to stage.
With "thousands upon thousands" of boxes to tick, it is little wonder planning for the next state election will start very soon after this one is done and dusted.
"I usually compare an election to putting on a theatre production. There's a lot of preparation with the tally room and the election being opening night of a show," Tasmanian Electoral Commissioner (TEC) Andrew Hawkey said.
It is also easy to see why it is such an expensive exercise.
"It will be well over $1 million for staff, for salaries, for polling week," Mr Hawkey said.
"There is printing of envelopes, there is sending 35,000 pieces of postal vote material through the mail three times, that is all $1 each time you mail it, let alone the materials.
"We have ballot papers to produce, we have tally rooms to put on.
"But they are all important elements that make our democracy what it is."
Mr Hawkey said while the tally room was an expense other states had ditched, it was an important event to Tasmanians.
"Tasmania is the only place to still have a tally room, but it is a really important event for our elections," he said.
"Certainly in other places they don't consider the cost worthy, but I think in Tasmania where there is such a strong connection between our candidates and our people, it means that we still have that grassroots event."
On top of staff, the tally room and printing, there are hundreds of boxes containing election material that were delivered to polling places this week.
These contained everything from pencils to first-aid kits and power boards, plus the netbooks staff will use to mark electors off the roll.
