By Renju Jose

SYDNEY (Reuters] -Australians voted on Saturday in a national election. Though opinion polls showed the Labor Party as narrowly ahead, the coalition’s ruling conservative coalition is still leading. A strong showing from climate-focused Independents could result in a hung parliament.

Although Centre-left Labor was in a solid lead entering the campaign, after being in opposition for nine years, polls have shown that the Liberal-National government of Prime Minister Scott Morrison narrowed this gap during the final stretch in a difficult six-week campaign.

The Australian newspaper published a Newspoll poll on election day that showed Labor losing ground to the coalition on a basis of two party preference. This is in keeping with previous election polls.

The polling booths for in-person voting are located at outback halls, beachesside pavilions, and suburban schools. They open at 8 a.m. (22200 GMT on Friday)

In the last two days of an election dominated by increasing living costs and climate change, Morrison and Anthony Albanese, made whistlestop visits to marginal seats.

Morrison’s campaign was about stoking inflation and encouraging wages growth. Labor’s focus had been on the nation’s low unemployment rates in over half a century. Real income has been kept in the black by an inflation that rose twice as fast.

Albanese said Saturday that people are in real distress and the government was totally out of touch. Albanese spoke to ABC Television on Saturday. “This country cannot afford three additional years of this… let Labor have a go.”

Morrison claimed that Labor’s policies will increase inflationary pressures and worsen the deficit.

He stated that this only puts more stress on the cost of living, and eventually leads to higher taxes. “When (Labor), can’t manage their money they always come after ours,” he said to Channel Nine.

While economic issues are important, several “teal independents” have been challenging Liberal-held seats. These independents campaign for climate change action after the most devastating floods and fires that hit Australia.

Liberal-National held 76 seats in the lower house, Labor held 68 and seven minor parties had independent members.

It is mandatory to vote and results of the first round should be announced by Saturday evening. The Australian Electoral Commission will flag a clear winner if there is a tight contest. This is due to the length of the postal voting process which takes approximately 3,000,000 votes.

The Australian Electoral Commission reported that more than half the votes were already cast on Friday night, and that a record number of early postal and in-person votes was received.

The time difference between the west and east coasts is two hours. This means that voting centers in Western Australia will remain open when initial counts begin from the eastern coast states. They have 124 seats of the lower house.