by Keith Anderson
Every vote will count in what is shaping as an extremely close election in the Federal seat of Monash.
There have been strong attendances at pre-polling booths that opened last Tuesday ahead of Saturday's official voting day and with a big field of nine candidates, the result again looks dependent on the allocation of preferences.
It could be some days after polls closing before the successful candidate is known.
The Monash electorate, previously McMillan until the name change ahead of the 2019 election, has been held by the Liberal Party and, briefly by its Coalition partner the then Country Party (now The Nationals), for 57 of the 76 years since the seat's creation in 1949.
The Australian Labor Party held it for the other 19 years.
Sitting member Russell Broadbent, who has held the seat for a total of 28 years including continuously since 2004, resigned from the Liberal Party last year after failing to gain re-endorsement
He is standing in the current election as an independent.

A survey of just over 1000 voters conducted from April 8 to 10 by mark