SYDNEY: Voting in Australia’s easternstates closed on Saturday with opinion polls showing theopposition Labor Party narrowly ahead of Prime Minister ScottMorrison’s conservative coalition, which has ruled for almost adecade.

However, a strong showing by climate-focussed independentscould result in a hung parliament.

Most of Australia’s people live on its east coast, wherepolling booths at suburban churches, beachside pavilions andoutback halls closed at 6 p.m. (0800 GMT). The states of NewSouth Wales, Victoria, Queensland and Tasmania, and theAustralian Capital Territory, account for 124 of the 151 lowerhouse parliamentary seats up for grabs.

Voting was ongoing in South Australia state and the NorthernTerritory until 0830 GMT and in Western Australia state until1000 GMT, by which time details of some early vote counts fromthe eastern states are expected to be known.

Centre-left Labor had held a decent lead after nine years inopposition, but recent polls showed Morrison’s Liberal-Nationalgovernment narrowing the gap in the final stretch of a six-weekcampaign.

A Newspoll survey by The Australian newspaper out onelection day showed Labor’s lead over the ruling coalitiondipping a point to 53-47 on a two-party-preferred basis, wherevotes for unsuccessful candidates are redistributed to the toptwo contenders.

Morrison and opposition leader Anthony Albanese cast theirvotes in Sydney after making whistle-stop tours across marginalseats in the final two days of a campaign dominated by risingliving costs, climate change and integrity.

“Today, Australians are making a big choice about theirfuture,” Morrison told reporters outside a voting centre.“Australia needs someone who knows how to manage money, knowshow to deal with national security interests, knows how to moveforward and secure that strong economy.”

Albanese said Australians want a change of government, whichhe said had nothing to be proud of.

“I’ve put us in a position where at worst we’re competitivetoday. We’re in the hunt here,” Albanese said about his chancesat the polls.

“In the fourth quarter, I want to kick with the wind at myback, and I believe we have the wind at our back,” he said in areference to Australian Rules football, one of the country’smost popular sports.

As Labor focussed on spiking inflation and sluggish wagegrowth, Morrison made the country’s lowest unemployment inalmost half a century the centrepiece of his campaign’s finalhours.

INDEPENDENTS’ INFLUENCE

While the economy is a key issue, several “tealindependents” are challenging a number of affluent Liberal-heldseats, campaigning for action on climate change after some ofthe worst floods and fires to hit Australia.

Three volunteers working for teal independent Monique Ryan,who is running against Treasurer Josh Frydenberg in thelong-held Liberal seat of Kooyong in Melbourne, said they joinedRyan’s campaign because they are concerned about the climate forthe sake of their children or grandchildren.

“For me, it’s like this election actually feels hopeful,”Charlotte Forwood, a working mother of three adult children,told Reuters.

In the outgoing parliament, the Liberal-National coalitionheld 76 of the 151 lower house seats, while Labor held 68, withseven minor party and independent members.

Voting is compulsory and initial results should be known bySaturday evening, although the Australian Electoral Commissionhas flagged a clear winner may not immediately emerge if it is aclose contest, due to the time required to count about 3 millionpostal votes.

More than half of votes had already been cast by Fridayevening, with a record 8 million early in-person and postalvotes, the commission said.