Vote counting is under way in the federal election as Australians wait to learn who will lead the nation for the next three years.
As early figures start to come in, both major parties are expressing cautious optimism about the election outcome.
Voting has closed in all states and territories except Western Australia.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will be watching the results come in from Sydney, with Labor holding its election night function at the Canterbury-Hurlstone Park RSL, the same location of its 2022 victory party.
Meanwhile, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton will spend election night in his home city of Brisbane, as the coalition has its official function at the W Hotel.
The Greens will be hoping to be kingmakers in a minority government, with party leader Adam Bandt hosting an election night event in Melbourne.
Labor has been leading in national opinion polls throughout the gruelling five-week campaign, but coalition figures are still hoping soft voters will swing back to the opposition.
Labor start the night on 78 seats, with the coalition on 57 and 15 on the crossbench, with 76 needed for a majority.
A hung parliament has been touted as a likely option.
As votes start to come in, Mr Albanese has thanked party supporters in an email, saying serving as prime minister had been the “greatest honour” of his life.
“We don’t know the result yet, but what I do know is that we can be incredibly proud of the positive campaign we have run over the past five weeks,” he said.
“It’s one of the biggest campaigns we’ve ever done.”
Treasurer Jim Chalmers said national opinion polls may not paint the true picture of the election outcome.
“Polls are almost completely useless this time around because there are half a dozen different kinds of contest,” he told the ABC.
“You’ve got Nationals versus independents … you’ve got Liberals versus teals, you’ve got a three–way contest …that is why it will be especially unpredictable.”
Coalition senator James McGrath said it was too early to tell how the opposition campaign had been judged.
“What Peter Dutton has done, considering the avalanche of people against us … the fact that we have been competitive in this campaign is a minor miracle,” he said.
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