Victorian election 2022: Liberal Matthew Guy convinced he can oust Labor Premier Dan Andrews

Matthew Guy insists he can sack Prime Minister Dan Andrews and land a shock victory in today’s Victorian election, as the Victorian leader was labeled ‘a stooge of the Communist Party’ in a bizarre live television interview.

About a million Victorians will cast their final ballot on Saturday as conflicting polls obscure the result of Andrews’ run for a third term.

The day got off to an unpleasant start for the increasingly divisive Mr Andrews, with Howard Lee, a professional Kim Jong-Un impersonator, doing a bizarre live television interview attacking the Victorian Prime Minister in his homeland, Mulgrave.

Optimistic Liberal leader Matthew Guy believes he can spoil the party for increasingly divisive Dan Andrews, who is seeking a third term in today’s Victorian election

Conflicting polls mean the likely outcome remains unclear – some pundits have predicted Mr Andrews will finally face a backlash over his harsh Covid lockdowns

The day started awkwardly for Mr Andrews, with a Kim Jong-Un impersonator doing a bizarre live television interview attacking the prime minister in his home country, Mulgrave.

“I’m standing in Mulgrave’s seat because I think if Dan Andrews, the Chinese Communist henchman, can run for re-election, I can also directly infiltrate Victoria more effectively if I’m in Mulgrave’s own seat,” said Mr Lee on the Today Show.

Cost-of-living pressures have been at the center of the campaign, while some pundits have predicted that Mr Andrews will finally face a backlash over his harsh Covid lockdowns.

Both leaders posted contrasting messages on social media early Saturday on the last election day.

A grinning Mr Guy took to social media early on Election Day urging voters to ‘vote Liberal’ [and] put Labor last’, as Mr Andrews opted to post a handwritten pledge to voters instead.

“It’s a great day for a fresh start,” posted Mr Guy, making a lyrical plea for people to vote “Liberal,” joking that his “Photoshop was broke.”

Mr Andrews ignored pleas to face the media at a press conference, instead posting a photo of four pledges in flowing handwriting on social media – some of which were difficult to read.

Voters were up early on Saturday and lined up at the voting center of Melbourne’s St. Anthony’s Catholic Church

The polls opened at 8 a.m. on Saturday, and those Victorians who had not yet voted cast their ballots

Polls opened at 8 a.m. on Saturday, and those Victorians who hadn’t voted early planned to cast their ballots and determine the state’s direction for the next four years after a hard-fought campaign.

More than a million people are expected to vote before 6 p.

m. Saturday at 1,700 Election Day locations across the state.

So many of the 4.4 million registered voters have already cast their ballots, according to election analyst Antony Green, that only 36 percent of voters will do so today.

By the time pre-poll voting closed on Friday, more than 1.9 million Victorians had voted early — compared to about 1.4 million in 2018.

The early votes cast and mail ballots filed led to a warning from the state’s election commission that it could delay results on election night.

Mr Andrews looks set to win an elusive third term after a Newspoll published Friday night showed Labor on track to bounce back despite a swing of nearly three per cent.

So-called democracy sausages were on the menu in Victoria Saturday morning as the 2022 state election draws to a close

Matthew Guy insists he can sack incumbent Dan Andrews and land a shock victory in today’s Victorian election

Labor leads the coalition by 54.5 percent to 45.5 percent based on two-party preference, according to the poll published by The Australian.

Labor starts at 55 seats in the lower house and would need to shed 11 to lose its grip on power. Newspoll is on track to hold 45 to 50 seats.

The coalition has 27 seats and needs 18 more to rule outright.

The latest Resolve poll indicated that Labor could lose between eight and 12 seats, putting it in danger of falling into a minority government.

Independent consultancy RedBridge Group predicts that Labor will end up with between 41 and 48 seats and the coalition will end up with between 27 and 33 seats.

Among the Labor seats at risk of falling are Melton, Werribee, Point Cook, Hawthorn, Box Hill, Northcote, Richmond and Albert Park.

On his third visit of the campaign to Northcote on Friday, Mr Andrews marked that the election would be close.

“Whole elections are determined by a handful of votes for a handful of seats,” he told reporters.

Cost-of-living pressures have been central to both sides’ campaigns

Liberal leader Matthew Guy, who made his final pitch to voters while touring Ballarat and Geelong, was optimistic about causing a boil-over.

It’s easy, with all due respect, for those who aren’t in politics to think this can’t be done. But I can tell you it can be done,’ he said.

Newspoll reported that Mr Andrews has a big lead as prime minister of choice at 51 per cent, compared to 35 per cent for Mr Guy.

The Prime Minister broke with tradition to cast his ballot early on Thursday night and vote outside his electorate of Mulgrave alongside his wife Catherine and two of his children.

Mr Guy, who prepolated in 2018, will vote in Templestowe on Saturday morning.