Tens of thousands of voters in south-western NSW have cast their ballots in the eagerly-anticipated Farrer byelection, where One Nation is vying to continue its conservative crusade and upend a historic Liberal heartland.
The final votes have been cast in the contest for former opposition leader Sussan Ley's seat, which is being widely watched as a temperature check of voter dissatisfaction with the major parties.
If successful, it would be the first time a One Nation candidate has been directly elected to the House of Representatives.
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Opposition Leader Angus Taylor exchanged casual smiles and cool handshakes with locals outside key voting booths this morning, despite pressures to retain his predecessor's seat, which Ley held for 25 years.
"[It's an] important day for Farrer. We're humbly asking the people of Farrer to vote for Raissa," Taylor said.
Raissa Butkowski, the Liberal candidate, stifled suggestions the party's success in the region had fallen to voter dissatisfaction.
"The Liberal Party is not only the hope of Farrer but for the rest of the country," she said.
The seat has only ever been held by the Liberals or Nationals since its inception, and Labor is not running a candidate in the byelection.
But Butkowski faces an uphill battle, with One Nation vying to shake up the conservative status quo.
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"You know the nation is looking for change and Farrer is screaming out for change," One Nation candidate David Farley said.
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has had the seat in her sights as the first pawn in a national takeover of major party politics, following a rise in support in recent months.
"[I'm voting for] Farley for sure. Just sick of the garbage of the major parties," one votert said.
"I've voted mostly the Libs all my life, but, they are not connected at the moment," another voter told 9News.
But others felt the conservative party didn't represent the people of Farrer.
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"I'm really sad at the idea that a community that has such a strong sort of migrant, multicultural background could possibly vote in One Nation," one woman said.
"That makes me really sad."
Independent candidate Michelle Milthorpe is shaping up as the closest contender for One Nation, having finished second to Ley at last year's federal election.
She too is pushing back against the major parties.
"I think they've lost that connection and the understanding of what it's like, you know, what a tank of fuel really costs," Milthorpe said.
"I think the clear message is that the two major parties, it's not business as usual anymore," independent MP for Indi Helen Haines said.
Farrer, which takes in the border town of Albury, has had just four representatives since its inception in 1949 – three Liberals and a National.
Today's byelection could spell disaster for Taylor.
"The Liberal Party made a decision on a new leader and that's had ramifications … we just get on with the job," Nationals leader Matt Canavan said.
"We're going to keep fighting for the things we believe in and that we know are the right things for this wonderful part of Australia," Taylor said.
Results from the vote count are expected to begin rolling in after 6pm, with candidates hoping to claim victory later tonight.
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