Residents of Far East Gippsland will have their say for the future of the region in this Saturday’s Federal Election.

Polling booths in the Far East can be found at: Orbost - St James Anglican Hall 28 Browning Street; Newmerella, Newmerella Primary School, 2 McLaughlins Road; Marlo – Marlo Primary School, 12 Jorgensen Street; Mallacoota - Miva Miva Health Centre, 1 Maurice Avenue; Nowa Nowa – Community Health Centre, 6 Bridge Street. All polling booths open at 8am and close at 6pm.

A mobile polling booth for early voters opened in Cann River yesterday at Cann River Public Hall, 24 Tamboon Road and will open again today from 8.30am to 1pm.

Gippsland has seven candidates contesting the election - David Snelling Shooters, Fishers and Farmers), Neville Phillip Tickner (Fraser Anning’s Conservative
National Party), Deb Foskey (Greens), Kerri Jane Brewer (United Australia Party), Antoinette Holms (Labor), Sonia Buckley (Independent) and Darren Chester (Nationals).

History suggests that the Gippsland electorate is a safe Country/Nationals seat and currently sitting member, Darren Chester, is holding an 18.2 per cent margin.

Across the country, the Labor Party has 51 per cent of the two party preferred vote, according to Newspoll at the time of going to press, however it sits two per cent behind the Coalition on primary votes. Labor needs to win 13 seats to earn a majority.