Liberal MP Bill Tilley on track to defeat Independent Jacqui Hawkins a second time

7.30pm. Counting is now under way across North East electorates as part of the Victorian election.

The seat of Benambra is set to be the tightest contest as incumbent MP Liberal Bill Tilley attempts to retain the seat from challenger Independent Jacqui Hawkins.

Labor candidate Mark Tait is predicting a close result with the final outcome not known until early next week.

"It's very hard to read, there seems to be a mixed bag," Mr Tait said of the mood towards Mr Tilley and Ms Hawkins at polling booths.

"I think it will be very close."

The first major booth announced for the night, Victory Lutheran College in West Wodonga saw Mr Tilley net 630 votes to Ms Hawkins' 437.

In the seat of Ovens Valley, there was frustration as ballot papers ran out at booths at Bright, Porepunkah and Wandiligong.

Nationals MP for the seat Tim McCurdy said voters were driving from booth to booth to find a site with forms.

The Victorian Electoral Commission confirmed there had been a shortfall.

"We are aware of a limited number of regional voting centres in the North East that ran out of district ballot papers," it tweeted before saying they had been replenished before voting closed at 6pm.

In the seat of Euroa, the two Coalition candidates Annabelle Cleeland (Nationals) and Brad Hearn (Liberal Party) spent the last hours at the Benalla P-12 School polling booth.

Ms Cleeland will be gathering with supporters at the Seymour racecourse to for her election party to help flood-affected businesses, while Mr Hearn will watch votes come in with his volunteer helpers.

RELATED: History beckons for victor in Benambra election race amid claim of 'intimidatory behaviour'

EARLIER: Victorian polling booths have opened for the state election, with North East politicians and candidates casting their votes early on Saturday.

Polling stations opened on Saturday morning and voters have until 6pm to cast their ballots.

Independent candidate Jacqui Hawkins, who is looking to take the seat of Benambra from member Bill Tilley, cast her vote at the Wodonga Middle Years College.

Mr Tilley voted prior to election day, while Mark Tait is standing in the seat for Labor.

Mr Tilley, who has held the seat since 2006, said he would be at polling sites in Wodonga before heading to outlying areas.

"We've run a good campaign, I've got a lot of hard working volunteers who support me and support the Liberal Party," he said.

"Credit to all of them.

"The plan is to cover as much area as I can, go out there and support the volunteers, but also the community."

Ms Hawkins said there was "a real appetite to move away from the major parties".

"Our people understand what independents do for their community," she said.

"We have Helen Haines here, we've had Cathy McGowan previously, and they get what local politics looks like.

"It's not politics being done to them, it's politics down with them."

Ms Hawkins said a formal complaint had been put to the Victorian Electoral Commission over a reported incident with Mr Tilley at an early voting station last Saturday.

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"I put in a formal complaint through the VEC because it was threatening and intimidating behaviour," she said.

Mr Tilley didn't want to comment on the incident on polling day, but said the pre-poll sites were "toxic".

"This is a hell of a lot better than the pre-poll - people are being allowed to just go in and lodge their votes," he said.

"This is the absolute last quarter of the final.

"The pre-poll in the last few weeks, the behaviour was absolutely toxic."

Pundits are predicting a close result statewide, with many flagging a minority government could be formed.

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