Lines were out the door at some polling places when they opened on Saturday morning, but the rush did not last too long.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
With so many Indi and Farrer voters choosing to vote early this year, election day polling booths are not the hectic place they used to be.
Nationals candidate Mark Byatt was the first to cast his vote this morning, able to walk straight up to an empty booth at 8.30am at Saint Augustine's Catholic Primary School.
"Saint Augustine's is where our children came to school, in fact over in the courtyard we have one of the Byatt bricks so that's nice. They've been really good supporters of ours," he said.
"I'm confident that the people of Indi will see the confidence that I bring to the table, so I look forward to the outcome."
The bookies' favourite Steve Martin had a big smile on his face as he voted with his wife Annabelle and children by his side at Victory Lutheran College, but admitted he was "excited and nervous".
"A lot's done by now so it's the nerves about the result and getting in front of the last voters," he said.
"It is going to be a really close day, but I think we've got a really strong message for the electorate."
Mr Martin was not the only familiar face at Victory Lutheran College - both retiring independent MP Cathy McGowan and Nationals Senator Bridget McKenzie were dressed in their team colours, handing out how-to-vote cards.
Independent candidates Helen Haines voted at Wangaratta High School in the afternoon and said there had been "orange orange everywhere" around the electorate with volunteers having fun and talking to voters.
"Who knows what's it's going to bring, I think it'a going to be a pretty tight result," she said.
"I'm not at all nervous, for me this is about the bigger question of how we want our democracy to be."
Labor's Eric Kerr also voted at about 1pm in Wodonga and said he was relieved the campaign was over so the electorate could see some action.
"It's got a different attitude (compared to when he last ran in 2016), there a different vibe so when the dust settles on Sunday, people will see that whatever happens there will be come outcomes," he said.
Incumbent Liberal MP Sussan Ley started her election day in the northern part of Farrer, casting her vote in Griffith, but will return to Albury later in the day.
"I feel in the last week people who may have been thinking of voting for an independent may have swung back to me," she said.
"I will be watching the votes at the end of the day, I know my team and I have left nothing on the field during the campaign."
Her closest rival independent Kevin Mack cast his vote at Thurgoona Public School at 10am and said now the "big Saturday" has arrived, his small team has given everything they could.
"I think it could go either way. There's some strong candidates and there's been a lot of talk about Sussan and myself for a long time, but at the end of the day, who knows?" he said.
"A lot of people aren't actually taking how-to-votes so it seems to me they're either well-informed or they're just going in to get their name ticked off."
After voting at Albury High School earlier in the morning, Labor candidate Kieran Drabsch said he was proud of the campaign and the focus on the "tough issue" of water.
"For myself it's been a journey of discovery, learning what makes our community tick and that's exciting," he said.
"I think (the result) will be on a knife's edge ... It is a very close race and that's exciting for our community."
Sustainable Australia Patty's Ross Hamilton quipped that "Steven Bradbury's my favourite Australian so I'm hoping to emulate his success".
But standing next to him, the Greens' Dean Moss also believed he was in with a shot to do a Bradbury.
"It's been a really fun few weeks, it's been good to get out wide into the electorate," he said.
Mr Hamilton said the campaign was about more than winning, it was about an open market of ideas.
"I think it's all going to come down to preferences, but who know where those preferences are going to go," he said.
MORE FEDERAL ELECTION COVERAGE:
Receive our daily newsletter straight to your inbox each morning from The Border Mail. Sign up here