Australia voting closes in eastern states, counting starts

Voting has ended on Australia's east coast and counting has begun, with the first results expected in the coming hours.

Polls are still open for up to two more hours in the rest of the country but it is the large eastern states of Queensland, Victoria and New South Wales which will attract the most attention.

Most of Australia’s population lives on its east coast. The states of New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and Tasmania, and the Australian Capital Territory, account for 123 of the 151 lower house parliamentary seats up for grabs.

The first exit poll has already been released and points to a narrow victory by the centre-left Labor party.

A Galaxy exit poll put Labor at 52% of the vote compared to 48% for the Liberal-National coalition, according to Nine News.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s conservative Liberal-National coalition has been in power since 2013 but has struggled in opinion polls for years, hurt by concerns over instability and party infighting.

Labour leader Bill Shorten seemed to strike a chord with voters, who feel left behind financially and are worried about the environment, with his promises to cut generous tax concessions enjoyed by the wealthy and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.