Called "the most important election you've never heard of" by one lobby group, it can be a struggle to generate community interest in your campaign.

The Legislative Council has periodic elections, meaning around one-sixth of the electorate votes each time.

Without the intense media spotlight of an all-in election like the House of Assembly, it can be hard for candidates to boost their profiles.

For candidates standing without the benefit of incumbency, it's even tougher.

Spending limits on electoral campaigns - this year set at $14,000 - might be a noble idea but it does limit the chance for less well- known candidates to boost their profile in the electorate.

And the proof is in the pudding: 13 of the council's 15 members were elected without defeating an incumbent.

Since 1998, there have been 28 Legislative Council elections where the current MLC has stood again, and they've won 23 times.

Sometimes MLCs are not even challenged for election, and are elected unopposed.

It's like the boss not showing up for a performance review, giving you another six years in the job for a six- figure salary.

The two sitting MLCs to buck that trend are Ivan Dean and Tony Mulder.

In 2003, Mr Dean was an underdog winner over Windermere MLC Silvia Smith, while in 2011, then Children's Minister Lin Thorp was defeated by "independent Liberal" Tony Mulder in an election centred on child protection issues.

Ms Thorp finished in front after the count but was defeated on preferences.

Reflecting on that campaign, Ms Thorp - now a Tasmanian Senator - said the people never get it wrong.

"I won 16 out of 20 booths but the cumulative effect of the anti-Thorp campaign won out," Senator Thorp said.

"The nature of the electoral system means people can be targeted."

That's something Nelson MLC Jim Wilkinson is experiencing in the current campaign.

Same-sex marriage and reproductive rights campaigners have singled out long-serving MLC Jim Wilkinson in an attempt to make the election a campaign on those issues.

That's democracy at work as Mr Wilkinson says, but perhaps there are ways that we could make those performance reviews tougher but fairer?

One measure that could give Legislative Council elections more time in the sunshine would be moving to an all-in model every few years. With 15 electorates up for election at once, statewide debate would focus right in on the election.

It would certainly give journalists more to focus on, encouraging more policy debate rather than localised elections where the key criteria is local representation.

Legislative Councillors might argue that such a move would invite party politics to the upper house, as parties would fund lavish campaigns for their tickets.

But that argument wouldn't wash with the public, which has consistently returned independent members over aligned candidates.

Like Governor William Denison at the founding of Tasmania's bicameral parliament, the Tasmanian electorate has largely agreed with the mission of the Legislative Council - to deliberate, review and put the brakes on legislation.

Of course, Governor Denison's motives were not so pure - suggesting that Tasmania's democratic spirit should be "checked" by an upper chamber to "prevent it coming into operation".

In our modern democracy, surely the time has come to give the Legislative Council the thorough review it gives to each piece of legislation it receives?

In both cases, the review would be beneficial for the Tasmanian public.