Live: Leaders make last-minute appeals for votes in NSW state election

The NSW opposition leader has made a last-ditch appeal to voters who he is hoping will forgive his gaffes in the crucial final days of the election campaign.

Voters in NSW have headed to the polls in what has been tipped to be one of the closest state elections in decades.

Leaders have made last-ditch appeals to voters and each cast their own votes in front of the cameras this morning.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison stepped in to make a last-minute show of support in favour of the state’s current Liberal government, donning a chef’s apron for the occasion and took up the tongs in his electorate of Miranda in Sydney’s south.

Mr Morrison helped man the barbecue at Sylvania Heights Public School in the Sutherland Shire.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison chef in chief at democracy BBQ in his electorate at Sylvania Heights Public School #NSWVotes2019 @9NewsSyd pic.twitter.com/uswEFXzCGd

— Elizabeth Bryan (@LizzyBryan1) March 23, 2019

MICHAEL DALEY DEFENDS FINAL WEEK OF CAMPAIGNING

NSW opposition leader Michael Daley has defended his final week of campaigning, having stumbled through a leadership debate and being forced to apologise over comments about Asian immigration caught on video at a pub forum last year.

“We are human, we make mistakes, but the most important thing is you pick yourself up,” he said.

Both Mr Daley and his opponent, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian, acknowledged the race for the leadership was close.

Mr Daley said he felt confident that the Liberal government’s failure to deliver their light rail project on time and on budget, and the controversy surrounding the destruction of Allianz stadium would be enough to swing voters.

He believes concerns about light rail and stadium redevelopment was enough to sway voters against the Liberal-National government.

“They’ve run a very negative campaign because they have no story to tell,” he said.

“Everything they’ve touched has turned to misery or destruction.”

Throughout the day Daley stopped by polling booths in Heathcote and in the marginal electorates of East Hill and Penrith.

STEADY VOTER TRAFFIC IN CRUCIAL ELECTION SEAT OF EAST HILLS

A constant but steady trickle of voters is shuffling into the East Hills Scout Hall, in the heart of one the most crucial seats in the election — East Hills.

If Labor can’t overturn its tiny loss here to Liberals four years ago, then it’s an ominous sign for Michael Daley.

Liberal candidate Wendy Lindsay’s team are making their presence known.

One of her leaflet handers, Matt Rymer, told news.com.au locals have been constantly streaming in to vote all day.

There’s bad news for latecomers though. Democracy Sausages have completely sold out, 2 hours earlier than in 2015.

The man behind the snags reckons this seemingly trivial fact may indicate voters are more fired up this time around.

Matt Kemp who is tunning the barbecue for the second election running, says the scout hall is far busier than four years ago when the Liberals won.

FIRED UP CAMPAIGNERS TELL OF UNUSUALLY SUBDUED DAY

Fired up campaigners at Panania Public School said it's been an unusually subdued day at their polling place. Picture: Benjamin Graham

Fired-up campaigners handing out flyers at one of the busiest polling centres in East Hills — Panania Public School — say it’s been a strangely subdued day so far.

The schools gates are a fortress of posters, billboards and campaigners, but there’s only a slow stream of voters passing through.

Despite this, Labor campaigner Wendy Wilkinson reckons it could be the quiet before the storm, as families begin to filter in after local soccer games.

Based on what she’s heard from voters so far, she says it sounds like Labor candidate Cameron Murphy — who lost by just over 200 votes in 2015 — has a “very good chance” of snatching the seat.

“He’s just a good candidate who’s done a lot for the area and worked hard for this community for a long time.”

However, it’s clear Ms Lindsay has the backing of some East Hills residents.

“It’s going to be too tight to call, but we want Wendy to win,” said Michael Anton.

“I just want the Libs to keep building infrastructure, because Labor stuffed up things like the Inner West Metro when they were in, and it’s just left a sour taste.”

DIVERSE VOTERS TURNING OUT IN FORCE AT KENSINGTON SCOUT HALL

Corflutes outside Kensington Scout Hall. Picture: Benjamin Graham

The seat of Heffron in Sydney’s inner south used to be traditionally decided by Greek Labor voters, according to a Kingsford local.

But she believes a growing Chinese population is slowly swinging the seat towards the Liberals.

However, there’s also a large student population in Kensington and the Greens and small parties are hopeful they can pull in some votes.

Student Matt Delaney told news.com.au students are turning out in droves and could have a big say in this seat.

A few voters heading to the booths in Kensington have said they feel disillusioned by the major parties and they don’t know who to vote for.

Flora Papadopoulos, 84, said she has always voted Liberal, but now she doesn’t feel like she can.

Ms Papadopoulos said she believed the light rail was unpopular with traditional Liberal voters in the area.

“I still don’t know who I’m going to vote for,” she told news.com.au as she was lining up to cast her vote.

CENTRAL COAST POLLING BOOTH CLOSED AFTER PERSON DIES

A voting centre on the NSW Central Coast has been forced to close following a death.

The elderly man, believed to be in his eighties, died after a medical incident at The Entrance campus of Tuggerah Lakes Secondary College about 11.15am on Saturday, NSW Ambulance said.

Police said the death was not suspicious, and the NSW Electoral Commission said the voting centre would remain closed until paramedics had left the site.

“There will be a significant delay in voting at this venue. It is being recommended electors attend one of the nearest voting centres,” an email from the NSW Electoral Commission said.

The polling centre has now reopened.

NSW PREMIER GLADYS BEREJIKLIAN TUCKS INTO ELECTION SAUSAGE

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has tucked into a sausage on a roll as she continues her tour of Sydney electorates on polling day.

The Premier stopped by Revesby Public School and tucked in with Liberal candidate for East Hills, Wendy Lindsay.

Wendy Lindsay, Liberal candidate for East Hills, with NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian. Picture: Lukas Coch

The NSW Labor leader started his day earlier with a “lucky pie” and a strawberry milk at a pie shop in Matraville.

He told reporters today is a big day for voters across the state, after casting his vote at Chifley Public School in Malabar in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.

“This is the day the people of NSW get to take their lives back after eight years of a chaotic government that has taken them for granted.”

He told reporters that if elected he’ll “not spend money on wasteful stadiums” and instead invest in schools and hospitals.

Michael Daley tucks into a ‘lucky pie’. Picture: Joel Carrett

VOTE TIPPED TO BE TIGHTEST IN DECADES

Ms Berejiklian earlier conceded the NSW election will be tight as she seeks to become the state’s first ever popularly-elected female premier.

Voting opened at more than 2200 polling booths across the state at 8am on today, with about four million people expected to cast their vote. More than 1.3 million have already made their decision and voted early, in what’s tipped to be one of the closest elections in decades.

A special Newspoll, published in The Weekend Australian, suggested the coalition is ahead of Labor 51-49 on a two-party preferred basis.

The Liberal-Nationals hold 52 seats in the lower house but Gladys Berejiklian will need to only lose six seats to relinquish her majority. Labor will need to pick up 13 seats to clinch an outright majority in the 93-seat chamber.

Many pundits are predicting a hung parliament, which would force either party to negotiate with independents and minor parties to form government.

Ms Berejiklian was accompanied by a media scrum when she cast her vote at Willoughby Public School just before 9am.

“It is going to be a tight race but it is up to the people of NSW to decide,” she told reporters.

“I hope they will decide to allow my government to continue to take NSW forward and provide a strong budget, a strong economy and not allow us to go backwards.” She said there was “no way” her government had been perfect. “Is there more we could have done? Of course, there is but … I know (NSW) will be much better off if they choose to vote Liberals and Nationals today.”

PREMIER GLADYS BEREJIKLIAN HECKLED AS SHE CASTS VOTE

Premier Gladys Berejiklian was heckled as she attended a North Shore primary school to cast her vote this morning.

As the NSW Premier arrived to cast her vote at a polling place in Willoughby she was flanked by media personnel and supporters chanting messages of support.

Walking into the polling booth her supporters could be heard yelling, “Vote 1 Gladys!”

But a vocal opponent from the Keep Sydney Open Party heckled the state’s Liberal leader, heckling her as she approached the voting centre, “Unlock this city, Gladys!” he yelled.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian arrives to vote at Willoughby

She was heckled by a Keep Sydney Open member but hasnt stopped smiling #NSWVotes #NSWElection2019 pic.twitter.com/8kOsksYa2U

— Luke Costin (@LukeCostin) March 22, 2019

Premier Berejiklian told reporters she’s yet to consider what she’ll do if forced into a minority government, as the NSW premier cast her vote at a local public school.

Berejiklian currently holds the seat of Willoughby at a strong margin of 24.5 per cent.

Polls suggest the Coalition will lose several seats and is at risk of being reduced to a minority in the lower house, but the Liberal leader said she hadn’t thought about that prospect.

If Berejiklian wins, it will be the Coalition’s third election victory and will make her the first female elected premier. Berejiklian came to power after the resignation of Mike Baird in 2017.

SOME VOTERS FURIOUS AFTER ONLINE SYSTEM iVOTE CRASHES

With voting in the state election well underway, voters who are unable to get to a polling booth were furious after the online early voting system crashed on Friday.

With the NSW Electoral Commission’s iVote registration system temporarily crashing, many took to social media to share their frustration.

@NSWElectoralCom The iVote site keeps crashing to an error message. This is ridiculous. In NYC. My wife has been trying to vote for an hour. pic.twitter.com/28PH6vcS8Y

— W0RLD.C1T1Z3N (@W0RLDC1T1Z3N) March 22, 2019

@NSWElectoralCom The iVote site keeps crashing to an error message. This is ridiculous. In NYC. My wife has been trying to vote for an hour. pic.twitter.com/28PH6vcS8Y

— W0RLD.C1T1Z3N (@W0RLDC1T1Z3N) March 22, 2019

@NSWElectoralCom I can't register for #ivote - it's not working on chrome, safari, mac, pc or iphone! any tips?

— Lisa Burton Crawford (@dr_lbc) March 22, 2019

@NSWElectoralCom please answer your phones! i was on HOLD tor 90 #minute then CUT OFF! am ON HOLD AGAIN #ivote #FAIL

— H (@WingsAreToFly) March 20, 2019

NSW Electoral Commissioner John Schmidt confirmed they were having problems with the system, but insists the majority were still able to vote.

“To date, 227,521 people have registered for iVote and 187,559 votes have been cast,” he said, in a statement last night.

The online issues led to an influx of complaints to the call centre last night, where they were still resolving issues until 11pm.

More than 207,000 have successfully used the iVote system, which has now been restored the functionality.

If only NSWEC provided enough capacity on their computing infrastructure to handle the volume of registration requests so I can actually register for #iVote. pic.twitter.com/niAcfIdPmq

— David Dawg (@PNGDawg) March 22, 2019

A last-minute poll has also delivered some worrying news for NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian.

A news.com.au poll run this week and voted on by more than 22,000 readers has given Labor’s Michael Daley a healthy lead of 53 per cent as preferred premier over Liberal Premier Gladys Berejiklian on 46 per cent.

In total, 12,083 readers said they would prefer Mr Daley as the next NSW premier, while 10,486 voted for Ms Berejiklian — a gap of almost 1600.

This marks a wider gap than previous polls in the lead-up to the big day. A YouGov-Galaxy survey published by The Daily Telegraph last week indicated the major parties were split 50-50 on a two-party preferred basis.

MORE: Everything you need to know about the state election

MORE: Who is Michael Daley?

MORE: Who is Gladys Berejiklian?

Ms Berejiklian’s Coalition came under fire yesterday after preferencing the Liberal Democrats, whose leader advocated for Australia to adopt New Zealand-style gun laws before the Christchurch terror attack.

“Well, they have no chance of forming government, or being part of a government, that is a clear difference and please don’t compare the two,” she told reporters yesterday afternoon.

Earlier this month, Liberal Democrats leader David Leyonhjelm suggested relaxing Australia’s gun laws and making them more like New Zealand’s prior to the sweeping changes announced by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Thursday.

“If Australia has gun laws like New Zealand, that would be a vast improvement on our current situation,” Mr Leyonhjelm told AAP on March 5, before the Christchurch attack that saw 50 people gunned down by a terrorist wielding semiautomatic weapons.

“At the moment, Australians wet their pants when you mention the word guns. It’s a cultural thing; they’re a bunch of scaredy cats.”