VOTING for the first time might come second after being allowed to drink for most teens turning 18, but Nick Vidler was more prepared than most.
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Mr Vidler, 19, pre-polled on Friday after careful research, mostly through the ABC and SBS.
"I grew up watching Insiders [the ABC's Sunday political commentary program] so I had a step into it that a lot of people my age probably don't," he said.
There was a lot of going back and forth and with so many names, it gets overwhelming.
"I had a pretty good idea of my top three and the two I wanted at the bottom, the middle I had to figure out.
"I'm into the policies and I had a vague idea what [the Senate paper] was going to look like - there was a lot of going back and forth and with so many names, it gets overwhelming."
Mr Vidler said with so much focus on personalities, policies were sometimes difficult to find.
"I had friends asking about coal seam gas and who was against it - I knew The Greens were, but not so much the other parties," he said.
"But a lot more people care about it and are talking about it than they were before."
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