10:30pm: Jason Carr: Thanks to all who helped out tonight - my colleagues Michelle Harris, Matt Carr, Michael McGowan, online editor Paulina Vidal and photographers Jonathan Carroll, Marina Neil and Phil Hearne.
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We'll be back online again tomorrow morning with fresh updates, and don't miss all the full reports in Monday's print edition of the Newcastle Herald.
10:26: Matt Carr: And the latest from the other seats.
Port Stephens: Labor There's a surprise at every party, and tonight it's Kate Washington's turn. An enormous swing against the Liberal party led to Ms Washington claiming victory long before NSW Opposition leader Luke Foley conceded overall defeat. Ms Washington's 12,797 votes put her almost 6% clear of Liberal candidate and Port Stephens councillor Ken Jordan. 51% of the vote is counted, and everyone tipped Port Stephens to be close despite the Liberals previously winning with a healthy margin, but preferences should see it change hands.
Upper Hunter: TBA It's the battle of the two mayors in the valley. With 22, 860 votes counted the Nationals' Michael Johnsen is almost 2000 votes clear of Country Labor's Martin Rush, but there's still plenty of counting to be done and preferences aren't sketching out a clear outcome.
Maitland: Labor Jenny Aitchison has 42.93% of the vote with 29,196 of the vote counted. Considering that's more than half the vote tallied and Ms Aitchison's nearest rival is the Liberals' Steve Thomson, who has about 24.7% of what's been counted to sit narrowly ahead of independent Philip Penfold (22.78%) before preferences are calculated, it's almost certainly another opposition MP for the Hunter.
10:25pm: Jason Gordon: And a final wrap from me too.
NEWCASTLE: Tim Crakanthorp will retain the seat he won at the October byelection. He's improved his primary vote over the past five months, and held off a strong challenge from Liberal Karen Howard. The Greens' Michael Osborne has also polled well, securing just under 19 per cent of the primary votes counted so far.
LAKE MACQUARIE: Independent Greg Piper will win a third consecutive term despite a very good challenge from Labor's Melissa Cleary.
SWANSEA: Former Liberal Garry Edwards will finish a distant third in the seat he held since 2011 with 13.5 per cent of the primary vote. Labor's Yasmin Catley has romped home with 45 per cent of the primary vote, ahead of the Liberals' Johanna Uidam with 26 per cent.
10:10pm: Matt Carr: Here's a quick dose of where it stands at 10pm.
WALLSEND: LABOR Sonia Hornery has 58.37% of the vote counted so far (35,692 votes) and 36.87% of the total vote in her electorate. She's virtually untouchable and more than 10,000 votes clear of the Liberals' Hannah Eves.
CESSNOCK: LABOR It's a similar story for Clayton Barr - 62.17% of the 20,181 votes counted have gone his way. Roughly 38.4% of the vote is counted, but the smart money lies with Mr Barr.
CHARLESTOWN: LABOR The Liberals' Jason Pauling has a respectable 29.47% of the 31,477 votes counted so far, particularly considering recent history with these particular voters. But with more than half the electorate's votes in the books, and Jodie Harrison well ahead with 49.98% of what's been counted, you can pretty safely rule him out.
10:09pm: Jason Gordon: A final count for the night from NEWCASTLE where Labor's Tim Crakanthorp is all but assured of retaining the seat he won in the October byelection.
- Michael Osborne (Greens): 6222
- Milton Caine (Christian Democrats): 526
- Jasmin Addison (No Land Tax): 459
- Karen Howard (Liberal): 11,144
- Sam Reich (Aust Cyclists Party): 513
- Steve O’Brien (Socialist Alliance): 433
- Tim Crakanthorp (Labor): 13,588
Votes counted: 32,885 / 55,337
10:04pm: Jason Gordon: Anyone else notice this guy in NBN's coverage of Luke Foley's speech a few minutes ago? The guy in the Newcastle Knights jersey? The Knights jersey with the Hunter Ports logo on the back? The same Hunter Ports owned by Nathan Tinkler and so loved by the naughty Joe Tripodi? The same Hunter Ports that rated a few mentions in ICAC? The same Hunter Ports so despised by Jodi McKay?
The Jodi McKay who got dumped from her Newcastle seat in part due to her opposition to Hunter Ports's coal loader and Joe's love for it? The same Jodi McKay who just got elected as the new Labor Member for Strathfield? It's a funny old world, isn't it?
9:44pm: This is some of what Mike Baird had to say in his acceptance speech tonight as his supporters chanted "four more year".
"Friends I love this state ... Tonight they [the people of NSW] have chosen hope over fear. We sought a mandate to make NSW great and tonight the people of NSW have given us that mandate and to them we say thank you".
9:38pm: Jason Gordon: Labor's Tim Crakanthorp has stopped short of claiming victory in Newcastle but said he's "fairly confident" of retaining the seat he won in October.
Celebrating at Carrington's Seven Seas Hotel with family and supporters, Mr Crakanthorp said he knew the campaign would be tough.
"It was, as demonstrated by the money and the people that the Libs put into it," Mr Crakanthorp said.
"I want to thank the people of Newcastle for putting their trust in me and the Labor party.
"I think it's time for the government, the transport minister and the planning minister to listen to the people of Newcastle and the Hunter," he said, in reference to both ministers declaring the election in Newcastle a referendum on the city's heavy rail line."
Asked how effective he will be in opposition, Mr Crakanthorp said Labor now had a "very strong team in the Hunter that is very focused, will work very effectively to act on behalf of all Hunter residents, especially in the areas of health and transport".
9:26pm: Matt Carr: In his concession speech, NSW Opposition leader Luke Foley has paid tribute to new female faces in Labor's ranks in the lower house that may include Kate Washington in Port Stephens after a massive swing in what was considered the safest Liberal seat in the Hunter.
"I am delighted that we will have nine or ten new women in the lower house," Mr Foley said.
He also thanked Hunter voters for returning to the party, arguing that while they lost they tallied 500,000 more votes than in the last election.
"Today the heartland has returned," he said.
9:20pm: Jason Gordon: And the latest from LAKE MACQUARIE:
- Ivan Macfadyen (Greens): 1514
- Greg Piper (Ind): 12,763
- Daniel Collard (Liberal): 4696
- Melissa Cleary (Labor): 9914
- Kim Gritten (Christian Democrats): 555
- Andrew Coroneo (No Land Tax): 267
- Susan Strain (Animal Justice Party): 743
VOTE COUNTED: 30,452 / 54,178
9:11pm: So, Michael Osborne will finish third again in Newcastle, but how good is he travelling? He's pulled almost 19 per cent of the primary vote in Newcastle for the Greens.
In Lake Macquarie, Upper Hunter and Swansea, the Greens have managed a little over 5 per cent. In Maitland, John Brown has polled 6.43 per cent for the Greens while Jane Oakley in Charlestown is currently sitting on about 11 per cent.
9:10pm: From smh.com.au: "Let's party," Labor's Jodi McKay has told supporters in the seat of Strathfield but she was not yet prepared to declare victory.
The ABC has called the seat for Ms McKay after early counting indicated a 10 per cent swing.
Ms McKay was being more cautious, saying she was "only just" in front of her opponent, Liberal Charles Casuscelli.
"Politics should be better than it is," the corruption whistleblower told the crowd at Burwood.
"I couldn't stand on the sidelines, criticising and wishing something was better".
9:07pm: Matt Carr: Charlestown just isn't ready to forgive the Liberals yet, it seems. They're either angry or that really awkward type of not mad, just disappointed. Either way, it's pretty safe to keep calling Jodie Harrison an MP if you see her around in the next little while. Same goes for fellow Labor incumbents Sonia Hornery at Wallsend and Clayton Barr, who are very comfortable in their seats.
Half their luck - I'm in an office chair.
Considering Kate Washington appears on track for victory in Port Stephens, the Hunter's Labor roots are shining through pretty clearly. For those keeping score, Clayton Barr seems to have the biggest percentage - with more than 40% counted, he's nabbed 62.17%.
9:04pm: Jason Gordon: And the latest from NEWCASTLE:
- Michael Osborne (Greens): 5950
- Milton Caine (Christian Democrats): 485
- Jasmin Addison (No Land Tax): 437
- Karen Howard (Liberal): 10,773
- Sam Reich (Aust Cyclists Party): 501
- Steve O’Brien (Socialist Alliance): 410
- Tim Crakanthorp (Labor): 12,859
Votes counted: 31,415 / 55,337
9:01pm: Jason Gordon: With more than half the vote counted in SWANSEA, Labor is well home.
- Luke Cubis (Christian Democrats): 816
- Johanna Uidam (Liberal): 7793
- Joshua Agland (Animal Justice Party): 818
- Chris Osborne (Ind): 849
- Paul Doughty (No Land Tax): 358
- Garry Edwards (Ind): 3940
- Yasmin Catley (Labor): 13,283
- Phillipa Parsons (Greens): 1716
VOTE COUNTED: 29,573 / 54,432
8:55pm: Jason Gordon: I'm hearing the sound of champagne corks hitting the ceiling of Carrington's Seven Seas Hotel.
There, Labor's Tim Crakanthorp is expected to shortly claim victory in the seat of Newcastle. Across the bridge at Wickham's Albion Hotel, the mood is slightly less excited in Karen Howard's Liberal bunker.
8:54pm: Michael McGowan: Kate Washington says the result out of Port Stephens tonight is "overwhelmingly" better than she anticipated.
There's still a lot of counting to do, but with massive swings being recorded across the electorate Ms Washington has claimed victory.
"It is beyond all our expectations. It's what we hoped for, but still, it is overwhelming."
"I want to be a member the community can be proud of. I will be someone who works hard, and who stays true to the people who put me here."
8:48pm: From AAP: Mike Baird will lead the coalition in a second term of government, after a convincing win in Saturday’s NSW election.The Liberal and National parties have won the 47 seats needed to claim government in the 93-seat state parliament.Mr Baird and his wife Kerryn have arrived at the Sofitel hotel in the city where the Liberal party is holding its election function.
8:38pm: Jason Gordon: Labor's Melissa Cleary certainly has Greg Piper looking over his shoulder in LAKE MACQUARIE. Piper secured 44 per cent of the primary vote at the 2011 election, well ahead of Labor's 19.5 per cent.
As it stands now with almost half the vote counted, Piper's primary vote has fallen to 39 per cent and Labor's has climbed to 35 per cent. There appears to be several thousand Liberal voters from 2011 who have switched to Labor over the past four years!
8:35pm: Michael McGowan: Three major booths recording big swings.
- Wireanda Public School a 25.7 two party preferred.
- Medowie Public School at 23 per cent primary.
- Anna Bay 18 per cent two party preferred.
- These are internal numbers.
There's still plenty more counting to do though. Estimated 12,000 or more at pre poll.
8:31pm: Michael McGowan: I'm hearing a swing of 25 per cent in the two Medowie booths, which is momentous.
8:30pm: Matt Carr: 41% counted in Charlestown and for Jodie Harrison it's starting to become all about the margin. 49.91% of the vote is a good place to be. Spare a thought for Christian Democrat Brian Tucker, No Land Tax's Tania Morvillo and independent Arjay Martin tonight, because you obviously didn't while you were voting. Together they share 1055 votes, less than 5%.
8:29pm Michael McGowan: Celebrations are underway at camp Labor in Port Stephens and I'm coping a (good natured) hiding for predicting a Liberal hold.
8:27pm: Jason Gordon: Is it time for a Jodie McKay update? Of course it is. She's sitting on 10,149 primary votes in Strathfield, just 18 votes ahead of the Liberals on 10,131. Oh how we yearn for a sea of marginal seats in the Hunter!
8:25pm: Jason Gordon: FULL UPDATE: So here's the state of play across the Hunter.
- Tim Crakanthorp has all but crossed the finish line in NEWCASTLE.
- Labor's Yasmin Catley has definitely won SWANSEA back for Labor.
- Independent Greg Piper has been returned for a third term in LAKE MACQUARIE.
- Labor has pulled well ahead in MAITLAND, almost certainly home.
- Labor's Kate Washington appears set to steal PORT STEPHENS from the Libs.
- The Nationals Michael Johnsen is well ahead in UPPER HUNTER.
- Labor's Sonia Hornery cannot possibly lose WALLSEND.
- Labor's Jodie Harrison will win CHARLESTOWN in a canter.
- Clayton Barr is no risk of losing Labor's control of CESSNOCK
8:17pm: Jason Gordon: Just another observation on the NEWCASTLE figures. The primary vote for Labor's Tim Crakanthorp is currently standing at 40.45 per cent. That contrasts to the 36.92 per cent he secured in October's byelection. Liberal Karen Howard currently holds 35.12 per cent of the primary vote, well up on the 26.13 per cent she secured as an independent in October. The Greens Michael Osborne is currently on 18.63, against his byelection count of 19.93 per cent.
8:16pm: Matt Carr: As with Clayton Barr, Sonia Hornery looks safe in Wallsend. Almost 40% of the vote down, she has nearly triple the number of votes counted for the Liberals' Hannah Eves. Pretty clear she's on track to a comfortable victory. I didn't call Cessnock and Wallsend the boring seats for nothing
8:15pm: Matt Carr: Daylight separates Clayton Barr from his nearest rival, as expected. He's got a comfortable buffer, with 62.08% of the vote and Jessica Price-Purnell on 24.99%. Hard to see him losing from there.
8:12pm: Matt Carr: And of course, that delivers fresh numbers for Charlestown. Harrison still clearly in front - her 8152 votes leads Jason Pauling's 5325 votes on behalf of the Liberals. That's based on 31% of the vote counted - it's beginning to look like relatively comfortable, assuming the electorate remains chilly on the Liberal party after the ICAC saga.
8:11pm: Michael McGowan: Kate Washington has just made what is effectively a victory speech to her supporters, to rapturous applause.
She said she wanted to be a member of parliament the people of Port Stephens can "respect",
At this point the numbers don't lie. She's won major booths like Anna Bay with a swing as large as 19 per cent
8:10pm: Michelle Harris: Labor has jumped ahead in Maitland with 9331 votes over the Liberals' 5316, out of the 21,800 votes counted.
Jenny Aitchison has nearly 43 per cent of the vote to Steve Thomson's 24.3 per cent.
Independent Philip Penfold is close behind Thomson with 5132 votes or 23.52 per cent.
8:07pm: Matt Carr: Interestingly, Jodie Harrison's vote in Charlestown is only marginally dented from the 2014 byelection win - where there was no Liberal candidate. In that poll, Ms Harrison won with a whopping 49.27% of first night primary votes. On the present numbers, she has 46.24%.
8:02pm: Jason Gordon: We've now got about 30 per cent of the vote counted in SWANSEA with Labor's Yasmin Catley cruising to victory. Former Liberal MP Garry Edwards is a very distant third.
- Luke Cubis (Christian Democrats): 411
- Johanna Uidam (Liberal): 3794
- Joshua Agland (Animal Justice Party): 411
- Chris Osborne (Ind): 498
- Paul Doughty (No Land Tax): 178
- Garry Edwards (Ind): 2289
- Yasmin Catley (Labor): 7284
- Phillipa Parsons (Greens): 869
VOTE COUNTED: 15,764 / 54,432
8:01pm: Matt Carr: Port Stephens again - Kate Washington has seized a slim lead over Ken Jordan. It's less than 300 votes, but if preferences become a factor it may prove decisive if it holds. For perspective, Ms Washington's 45.3% leads Mr Jordan's 43.44% of counted votes.
7:59pm: Matt Carr: Wallsend: Fresh figures for Wallsend show Sonia Hornery racing ahead. The Labor incumbent has 7640 of 12,789 votes - it's just shy of 60% of what's counted. Liberal Hannah Eves has 3039 votes, slightly less than a quarter of the counted vote.
7:57pm: Jason Gordon: I think the race is just about over in Newcastle. With about 40 per cent of the vote counted, Labor's Tim Crakanthorp is more than 1700 votes ahead of Liberal Karen Howard. The real key here is the significant vote again secured by the Greens' Michael Osborne who has attracted almost 19 per cent of the primary vote. Even if this race gets close, Greens preferences will secure the seat for Crakanthorp.
7:56pm: Matt Carr: Clayton Barr is pulling clear in Cessnock with more than 10% counted. He's at a comfortable 60.04% of the 5811 votes tallied. His nearest rival is the Nationals' Jessica Price-Purnell, who has just over a quarter of the counted vote. Long way to go yet, but given Labor was favoured already they may be gaining confidence.
7:54pm: Matt Carr: An upset may be on the cards in Port Stephens, and not just because correspondent Michael McGowan is having internet trouble. Kate Washington is narrowly behind with 11,978 votes counted. She has 43.56% of that vote, while Ken Jordan leads with 44.82%. There's exactly 150 votes between them based on these numbers, meaning preferences could become important before it's all over.
7:48pm: Jason Gordon: Early signs are looking very strong for Tim Crakanthorp in NEWCASTLE. Crakanthorp is commanding 43 per cent so far, Karen Howard with 33 and Michael Osborne with a healthy 19 per cent for the Greens. That's pretty much in line with October's byelection result.
- Michael Osborne (Greens): 2631
- Milton Caine (Christian Democrats): 224
- Jasmin Addison (No Land Tax): 203
- Karen Howard (Liberal): 4680
- Sam Reich (Aust Cyclists Party): 208
- Steve O’Brien (Socialist Alliance): 189
- Tim Crakanthorp (Labor): 6073
Votes counted: 14,208 / 55,337
7:47pm: Matt Carr: We're on again in Charlestown. Now at 13, 516 counted. Jodie Harrison has 46.3% of that, while Jason Pauling trails with 31.24%.
The gap is widening between this pair - it's now over 2000 votes, with almost a quarter of the vote counted.
7:45pm: Matt Carr: More news from Charlestown. Jodie Harrison is holding her lead in Charlestown with almost 20% of the vote counted. Liberal Jason Pauling is trailing the incumbent by more than 1000 votes, with 10,236 counted. There's still more than 40,000 votes to be tallied but on a percentage basis Harrison has 45.48% and Pauling has 31.48%.
Behind the two major parties comes Jane Oakley from the Greens. With 1254 votes she has 12.25%, which is slightly below what she ended up with on first preferences at the 2014 byelection in this seat. Plenty of room for that number to correct though.
7:44pm: Michelle Harris: The results for some of the bigger booths in Maitland have just come in.
Liberal Steve Thomson is trailing with 2910 votes (25 per cent of the vote), to 4869 for the ALP’s Jenny Aitchison (nearly 42 per cent).
Independent Philip Penfold is now on 2647. About 11,600 votes have been counted.
7:40pm: Michael McGowan: The Washington Party are doing a lot of cheering, but the early numbers look very close.
The most significant though has come from Anna Bay, one of the larger booths and, if you recall, where Liberal Ken Jordan set up base today.
The initial count suggests his work might have been in vain, Ms Washington has taken it with not quite half the vote.
The electoral commission has Mr Jordan ahead with 47 per cent of the total vote to Ms Washington's 42. It's close.
7:35pm: Michelle Harris: Labor’s Jenny Aitchison is in front in Maitland on 814 votes to Liberal candidate Steve Thomson’s 701.
Just over 2000 votes have been counted, from the booths at Shamrock Hill and Millers Forest.
Trailing in third place is independent Philip Penfold on 460.
7:31pm: Michael McGowan: Inside Kate Washington's election party at Lakeside Tavern in Raymond Terrace.
It's also where the Karuah Roos are having their post-match booze up.
The guest of honour is yet to arrive.
7:28pm: Jason Gordon: Just an interesting observation from the count in Lake Macquarie. While Greg Piper is still well ahead with about 10 per cent of the vote counted, Labor's Melissa Cleary has so far polled almost double that of Liberal Daniel Collard.
That's quite a turnaround on 2011 when the Libs actually finished second behind Piper, pushing Labor into a distant third.
7:25pm: Matt Carr: My favourite quote of the day came from an anonymous voter talking to his partner in Adamstown today: "The election is like grand final day for boring people." With due respect to Spartacus, I am a boring person.
7:20pm: Matt Carr: So we turn to Boring Seat #2 - Cessnock. With 817 votes in the bag, Labor's Clayton Barr is narrowly ahead of Nationals candidate Jessica Price-Purnell. There's less than 30 votes between them, too, but they're well clear of the Greens' Lindy Williams on 81 votes.
7:16pm: Jason Gordon: First results in for LAKE MACQUARIE.
- Ivan Macfadyen (Greens): 132
- Greg Piper (Ind): 1245
- Daniel Collard (Liberal): 435
- Melissa Cleary (Labor): 913
- Kim Gritten (Christian Democrats): 58
- Andrew Coroneo (No Land Tax): 21
- Strain (Animal Justice Party): 54
VOTE COUNTED: 2858 / 54,178
7:13pm: Matt Carr: Charlestown is tracking towards the Labor incumbent, Jodie Harrison, with less than 1000 votes counted.
Of the 772 checked so far, Ms Harrison has claimed more than 43% of first preferences. Of the six booths, Liberal candidate Jason Pauling has the lead in one. All the others belong to Ms Harrison.
7:11pm: Michelle Harris: The first figures for the seat of Upper Hunter are in.
National Party candidate Michael Johnsen has 75 of 146 votes, followed by Labor’s Martin Rush on 40, and independent Lee Watts on 21.
7:10pm: Jason Gordon: And for those who remember Jodi McKay (sigh, I know I do): she's started well off the blocks in Strathfield.
7:09pm: Michael McGowan: The first numbers have come back for Port Stephens.
347 votes worth, in fact.
Early counting for a booth in Williamtown has Labor's Kate Washington taking 49 per cent of the primary, to the Liberal candidate Ken Jordan's 38 per cent.
It's obviously way too early to read much into those numbers, other than it showing that people in Williamtown are fast counters.
7:08pm: Matt Carr: Results are arriving in Wallsend, also known as Boring Seat #1 due to the fact Sonia Hornery is an unbackable favourite to retain her spot. You never know, though. Anyway, these early numbers tell us that with 1560 votes cast so far, the incumbent Ms Hornery is sitting pretty with 60.19% of the vote.
That's 939 first preference votes, for the record.
At time of writing the Liberals' Hannah Eves is leading the Black Hill Public booth, her 44 votes neatly double Hornery's 22. That's the end of the good news for candidates not named Sonia Hornery in Wallsend though - all six other booths are tracking towards a Labor victory.
The fittingly named Our Lady of Victories at Shortland has 694 of 1134 votes in Ms Hornery's corner.
Overall, that puts the Liberals in second position with 356 votes (21.85%) with a lot of voting to come.
7:05pm: Jason Gordon: Thank you to whoever nudged the Swansea returning officer for me. Vegetable hash is in the mail. A massive 55 votes counted. Labor's Yasmin Catley has 22 of them. Just 54,387 to count.
7pm: Jason Gordon: Gee whiz. How long does it take to count bits of paper? Still no numbers for Lake Macquarie or Swansea yet. Can someone pop over and give the returning officers a nudge? Volunteers can earn themselves a free vegetable hash.
6:57pm: Jason Gordon: Phew, Newie Girl tells me that vegetable hash is another name for bubble and squeak. Crisis over. Except now I'm hungry.
6:56pm: Michael McGowan: On Twitter, @chippa84 says a mate in Newtown thought a vote for Tay Tay was appropriate given the "dud result she got on Australia Day", in reference to Ms Swift's controversial barring from the Triple J Hottest 100. I think she'd go poll rather well, but for which party?
6:51pm: Matt Carr: Here's a recap of the day in pictures.
And for a snapshot of your seat, here are our profiles on each seat. Click here.
6:46pm: Jason Gordon: No, but thanks for the email Barber Bob. There is no truth to the rumour that Fred Nile was spotted on the waterslide in Parkway Avenue today. He was too busy setting up his fourteenth parliamentary inquiry for the year. Actually, it might be a parliamentary inquiry into why so much fun was allowed in Parkway Avenue on election day. Must be stopped. I blame McCloy.
6:42pm: Jason Gordon: And we're off and running in Newcastle. Labor's Tim Crakanthorp has picked up 48 votes at the All Saints New Lambton booth.
Karen Howard has snared 24 to Michael Osborne's 16. There you go, I'm calling it a victory for Labor in Newcastle. Waddya mean it's too early? Just trying to get in before Antony Green!
6:40pm: Matt Carr: Popcorn probably won't be necessary for Wallsend and Cessnock tonight - without a doubt, they're among the more straightforward seats in the Hunter. That's a polite way of saying they look predictable, which on election night makes them boring.
On paper, anyway.
It's always a mistake to say something is a sure thing in politics, but you have to be tempted to say so looking at Cessnock. Clayton Barr's seat has only ever gone to the Liberals once, in 1988, and his 3.9% margin seems unlikely to disappear tonight.
It's a similar story in Wallsend, where Labor are even less likely to hand over the keys to the seat. Since its inception in 1968, it's always been an ALP stronghold. Sonia Hornery holds it with a 6.3% margin.
Nothing is sure in life, but those seeking excitement can probably consider Wallsend and Cessnock the runts of the litter. For the ALP's true believers, though, they will be pretty welcome.
6:35pm: Jason Gordon: What the...? As disappointed as I was to find no sausage sizzle at Wangi Public School this morning, I managed to snag a treat at Fennell Bay and Charlestown on the way in to work. But it was a far cry from what the beautiful people in hipster Newtown had served up to them.
The Sydney Morning Herald reports that vegetable hash, haloumi rolls and pulled pork buns had replaced the traditional sausage sizzle and cake stall at school polling booths around Erskineville and Newtown.
What a travesty. I demand that Fred Nile head up a parliamentary inquiry. I'm sure David Shoebridge would back it. Actually, I might just call David to find out what a vegetable hash actually is.
6:30pm: Michael McGowan: Just bumped into Port Stephens Greens candidate Rochelle Flood at a booth in Medowie. Ms Flood, a 23-year-old University of Newcastle theatre studies graduate, has just finished her first political campaign.
She's decided to eschew the traditional post-election party, instead heading to Tea Gardens to catch up with some friends. "We'll do something soon." I asked her to hazard a prediction for the seat, but, like all good politicians do, she dodged it. "Everyone's been telling me it's going to be close, so I guess it's going to be close. I really don't know who's going to win. For those playing along at home, or just looking for something to do with their Saturday night,
Labor's party is at the Lakeside Tavern in Raymond Terrace, a safe enough distance from the Port Stephens Liberal Party's favourite water hole, the Bull and Bush Hotel in Medowie.
6:25pm: Michelle Harris: You wouldn’t have been a Labor candidate for quids at the last state election.
To say voters were waiting with baseball bats for the ALP would be an understatement.
So you could understand if Cessnock MP Clayton Barr is still scarred from the experience, which happened to be his first campaign.
Who could forget him jumping on the back of a ute before the 2011 poll to address a group of parents protesting over a demountable building at Black Hill Public School, only to have the crowd turn on him?
He still managed to get across the line in the electorate, one of only two in the Hunter the ALP retained in 2011.
The front runner this time around on a 3.9 per cent margin, he says voters this Saturday have been ‘‘incredibly polite and friendly’’.
He’s up against the Nationals’ Jessica Price-Purnell, who stepped into the breach for her party after the sudden and unexplained withdrawal of would-be celebrity candidate Angry Anderson.
Plenty of government staffers remain devastated the Rose Tattoo front man won’t be available as entertainment at State Parliament’s annual Spring Ball.
6:20pm: Matt Carr: I'll never understand the urge to wear a costume and do paperwork, but some people felt the need to get dressed up for election day.
Labor's Jenny Aitchison spotted a family of super heroes at a booth in Thornton while Liberal candidate for Newcastle Karen Howard met what appears to be a Greek god and a dapper gent in her stint on the hustings today.
6:15pm: Jason Gordon: Speaking of Parra, Newcastle’s Parra Supporter’s Club were still celebrating today. One posted this pic on the group’s Facebook page this morning, giving his vote up for Eels coach Brad Arthur.
6:11pm: Matt Carr: There's a definite council flavour to the field in the Upper Hunter. Two reigning mayors are standing for the major parties: Muswellbrook's Martin Rush is running for Labor, and the Nationals candidate is Upper Hunter Shire mayor Michael Johnsen.
The pair are also joined on the ballot by Cr Johnsen's mayoral predecessor and sitting Upper Hunter councillor Lee Watts, an independent candidate, as well as the Greens' John Kaye (a Denman businessman who shares a name with the Greens MLC) and Christian Democrat Richard Stretton.
While the Nationals' have an iron grip on the seat with a 23 per cent margin, it's an electorate that has chosen longstanding member George Souris to represent it for the past 27 years. But with Mr Souris retiring at this election, will the loss of a familiar face herald a fresh party taking the seat?
The historical numbers don't seem to support such an enormous change in the electoral tides, but stranger things have happened. Plus, Labor leader Luke Foley talks a good game about the seat - he has been quoted claiming his party has "got the Nationals on the run here".
6:07pm: Jason Gordon: Oh, and thanks for the anonymous Labor trolls who think that tipping Karen Howard to win in the Newcastle Herald today means that I automatically qualify for membership of the brown paper bag club! Please go and call Alan Jones or something.
Labor’s Tim Crakanthorp is rightly favoured to win Newcastle, but I think Karen Howard will get very close. May well go to preferences. The people will decide a winner, folks. I do, however, fear that Newcastle will get bugger all out of a Labor backbencher sitting opposite a Baird Liberal government.
Anyway, I also tipped Parra to beat Souths last night. Woop woop! The mighty Eels are back!
6:03pm: Matt Carr: Too good not to share.
6pm: Jason Gordon: Well, if you haven’t voted yet, expect a $55 fine in the mail some time soon. We won’t see any results coming in before 6.30, so it might be worth a look back at the numbers that popped up last October.
Then, Labor’s Tim Crakanthorp pulled in almost 37 per cent of the primary vote. Karen Howard, then an independent, managed 26 per cent while the Greens’ Michael Osborne polled just shy of 20 per cent - his best result ever. On the final count, Crakanthorp recorded 59 per cent of the two-party preferred count, with Howard back on 41 per cent. I’d be very surprised if we see that sort of margin tonight.
5:58pm: Michael McGowan: Anna Bay was Mr Jordan's headquarters from start to finish today, and for good reason.
It's one of the traditionally Labor-dominated booths that the Liberal Party managed to clean up in the big swing of 2011, to the tune of 58 per cent. He knows that if he's going to hold onto his big 14.7 per cent margin, he needs to hold onto areas like this.
"I'm here on purpose. This is a Labor booth and I want these voters to see me here and hopefully get a look at me if they haven't already," he said.
"It has been mixed. Everyone's polite, but not everyone is interested in taking my fliers. But that's okay. I would say overall the response has been fifty fifty good."
With a margin of 14.7, this seat should be a walk in for the government, but for reasons we'll dig further into tonight, both parties fancy themselves a chance of jagging it.
Mr Jordan certainly hasn't picked out the wall paper in the electorate office yet.
"I don't think we'll know tonight, that's how close this is going to be," he said.
"I think the fact that 2011 was such a big swing, there's obviously going to be pushback, and Kate [Washington, his Labor opponent, has had the advantage of being on the ground for a few months more than me."
5:57pm: Matt Carr: As one of the Hunter's two proper "ICAC seats", Charlestown offers plenty of variables tonight.
After Jodie Harrison clinched it with a whopping 20.8% margin in the 2014 byelection sparked when Andrew Cornwell stepped aside over the ICAC hearings that ...well, yeah. You know about that.
But that number is a tad misleading in that there was no Liberal candidate in that poll.
Enter Jason Pauling, who is fighting to reclaim the seat for a Liberal party that is a very different animal to the one that romped home in 2011. Cornwell shoved Labor out of the seat with a 25.2% swing in first preference votes at that election, back when Barry O'Farrell became Premier.
Now it's a new Liberal premier, a new candidate in the seat and a party hoping enough water has passed under the bridge that they will get another shot. Has all been forgiven, Charlestown?
When you factor in the Greens' Jane Oakley - who polled a very respectable 14.23% on first preference in a crowded byelection field last year - Charlestown's going to be one to talk about.
5:52pm: Michelle Harris: Things are all a bit weird out Maitland way this election. At least that’s the observation of outgoing Liberal MP Robyn Parker.
‘‘I think it’s an odd mood,’’ she said after an afternoon of handing out how-to-vote material– or trying to– for her party in Thornton. Very few voters were accepting them, or those of any other party.
She’s tipped Labor will pick up the seat she held on a 4.9 per cent margin– ‘‘but I’m happy to be wrong’’.
It will be close though. The energy of Labor’s campaign appeared to shift to Port Stephens.
‘‘I haven’t seen such a low key Labor campaign in [Maitland] ever,’’ Ms Parker said.
The former O’Farrell government environment minister hasn’t yet decided what she will do after politics, but had a few voters suggest she should have stood again.
‘‘And no doubt they would have all voted for me if I had,’’ she joked.
She will likely be remembered for years to come as the only one of the Hunter’s 2011 Liberal crop of MPs to make it out of the Independent Commission Against Corruption’s witness box unscathed.
New Liberal candidate Steve Thomson is up against Labor’s Jenny Aitchison. Maitland City councillor Philip Penfold is standing as an independent.
5:50pm: Jason Gordon: I’m probably not the only person a little disturbed by Phil Hearne’s photo of an elderly lady who had a fall in the car park after voting at Swansea High earlier today.
Phil reports that many rushed to her aid, including himself, but can someone let us know if things turned out okay? Here's hoping.
5:47: Michael McGowan: Mr Jordan also let slip that the No Land Tax Party have been in contact with another high profile Port Stephens politician, revealing that colourful mayor Bruce MacKenzie was approached to run on its upper house ticket.
"Bruce knocked them back, I don't think he's seriously interested in running at his age," Mr Jordan said.
It's not a totally unimaginable idea, though.
In December the Newcastle Herald reported Cr MacKenzie saying that if the Liberal Party didn't preselect Mr Jordan, he would run himself.
5:44: Jason Gordon: Lake Macquarie’s love affair with Greg Piper appears certain to continue for the next four years - in the lake’s southern suburbs, at least. Although we did laugh at the post on Greg’s Facebook page today: ‘‘Who’s paying the Piper?’’.
We also loved Tim Connell’s exclusive report in today’s Herald Topics column about Labor candidate Melissa Cleary who, it turns out, was flower girl at the independent’s first wedding. That’s the way they roll in south-western Lake Macquarie, keeping it all in the extended family! I’m allowed to say that - I live there!
5:41pm: Matt Carr: Twitter's @Rob_Virtue spotted this garage sale at a house opposite a Newcastle polling place taking advantage of the extra foot traffic.
5:39pm: Michael McGowan: Kicking things off in Port Stephens, Liberal candidate Ken Jordan has labelled claims he made a preference deal with the No Land Tax Party as "absolute rubbish."
Fairfax reported on Friday that Peter Jones, the lead upper house candidate for the No Land Tax Party, had claimed to have a deal in place with Mr Jordan, as well as Liberal candidates in Gosford,
Prospect and Drummoyne, where Liberal volunteers would assist No Land Tax in handing out on the day and feeding volunteers.
But speaking at Anna Public School on Saturday Mr Jordan dismissed Mr Jones' claim.
"It's nonsense, he called me and told me that he was putting me as his number two [preference] in Port Stephens, I said 'mate I've got nothing to offer you'," Mr Jordan said.
"I basically told him to speak to Tony Nutt, he's the one who deals with these things, it's out of my hand as the candidate."
The No Land Tax had previously tried to pull off a preference swap deal with the Liberal Party, but were knocked back.
5:37pm: I do love a good kerfuffle. Australian Cyclists Party candidate Sam Reich has come under fire in Newcastle over a slightly dodgy how-to-vote card. Sam, who may or may not have worn lycra to the ballot box, directed preferences only to Labor’s Tim Crakanthorp.
It was just a pity that Sam couldn’t spell Crakanthorp. Enter the angry Liberals who have demanded to know whether or not the how-to-vote card was actually approved by the electoral commission and therefore legal. I know, hardly a Jodie’s Trucks moment, but you’d think that if Sam loved Tim so much, he might have known how to spell Crakanthorp.
5:34pm: Matt Carr: I'm the Herald's online journalist, which means until today I've mainly observed this election through the dramatic lens of online comments and social media. Tonight I'll be focusing on Charlestown as well as Cessnock and Wallsend.
Beyond that, I'll be looking for the lighter side of today while my colleagues are preoccupied with the future leaders that will shape and guide our nation through turbulent waters and all that stuff. You can reach me at mcarr@theherald.com.au.
5:33pm: Michael McGowan: My name is Michael McGowan, I'm a staff reporter at the Newcastle Herald. For the past three years I've been writing about the often controversial, always colourful Port Stephens Council.
In most seats 14.7 per cent would seem like an unassailable margin, but with the sitting member Craig Baumann forced to resign after last year's ICAC scandal there are two new candidates in a race they both believe can go their way. Both parties have targeted the seat and campaigned with their wallets, making big promises for the seat in the lead up to the vote. It will be fascinating to watch the voter's reaction unfold in front of us tonight.
5:31pm: Michelle Harris: I’m Michelle Harris and I’m the Newcastle Herald’s state political reporter. I’ll be focusing on the seats of Maitland and the Upper Hunter in our election coverage, as well as bringing you an overview of the results across the Hunter.
I’ve been at the Herald for about 10 years, and have been based at State Parliament since late 2010. In my time at Macquarie Street, I’ve seen the Labor Keneally government swept from office and replaced by the O’Farrell government, and covered the Independent Commission Against Corruption’s Operation Spicer inquiry that threw the Liberal Party into turmoil in the region. It’ll be tough to top all that excitement, but let’s see how this election night goes.
5:30pm: Jason Gordon: Okay then, I managed to pilfer one of those upper house ballot papers from a Merewether polling booth today with the intention of turning it into a doona.
Although if I see another sausage sandwich today I doubt I’ll be spending much time under it. Anyway, here we are.
Another fun day on the hustings and a big whack of deja vu. I can exclusively reveal that little blood was spilled on the Newcastle election trail today, but there is still time - maybe later, hopefully, if another punter tries to have another go at Tim Crakanthorp’s extra shiny teeth.
Polls close in about half an hour which means we’ve got an hour to dissect the day before results start rolling in.
So what’s been happening in your neck of the woods? You can comment below, text me on 0419 633 325 or email jgordon@theherald.com.au.
