Premier Anna Bligh has cast her vote on what she says is a 'tough day' for the Queensland Labor Party, while her opponent, Campbell Newman, broke with tradition, has voted for his party's candidate in the neighbouring seat.
Ms Bligh voted at West End State School flanked by her husband Greg Withers and son Oliver, who is celebrating his 19th birthday and voting for the first time.
He said his mum was "the best candidate" in South Brisbane and he would spend the day driving her around to polling booths while she hands out sandwiches.
Ms Bligh's other son, Joseph, 24, is staffing a booth in Ashgrove.
Both boys went to the school where their mum voted.
After visiting 50 electorates this week in a gruelling campaign schedule, Ms Bligh said she was feeling good.
"I've loved every minute of it," she told reporters.
"I'm feeling great today, I love election day.
"There is a lot of energy around."
Polls point to that energy giving the Liberal National Party (LNP) a landslide victory, reducing Labor to as few as 12 seats.
But Ms Bligh said she had no regrets about her campaign, which was heavy on attacks on LNP leader Campbell Newman's integrity.
"This is a very tough day and a tough election for the Labor party," she said.
"I know what the polls are saying.
"But you don't give up until every last vote has been cast and that's what I will be doing and what I know my candidates will be
doing."
The premier continued to urge undecided Queenslanders to vote Labor if they care about education, job security and the
environment.
Ms Bligh said she spoke to prime minister Julia Gillard on Friday and had the support of federal and interstate politicians.
"We are a great Labor family nationally and I've had a lot of support from people," she said.
Former premier Peter Beattie told ABC Radio Ms Bligh had his sympathies as she braced for the wipeout.
"She's going to lose today and that's a terrible feeling," he said.
"A lot of people don't understand what it's like for the leader to ... go into an election and lose badly, which she will.
"That's very difficult and I have enormous sympathy for how she feels today."
NEWMAN VOTE A BREAK WITH TRADITION
Liberal National Party (LNP) leader Campbell Newman has broken with tradition, popping a vote in the ballot box for his party's candidate in the neighbouring seat.
Mr Newman is tipped to win Saturday's election emphatically, becoming the first Queensland premier to win the top job from outside parliament.
The former Brisbane lord mayor doesn't live in Ashgrove, the seat he is contesting, so he has voted for his candidate in the neighbouring seat of Brisbane Central, Rob Cavalluci.
He popped into Ashgrove to vote however, casting an absentee vote at Newmarket State School.
Carrying an elephant lucky charm with him, Mr Newman was calm and upbeat.
"We've fought a campaign based on the issues; a clean, fair, straight up and down campaign," he told reporters.
"I'm proud of everybody across this state who has worked so hard, but it's down to Queenslanders."
Mr Newman's wife Lisa sighed nervously when Mr Newman said he would be campaigning right up until 6pm (AEST).
"(I'm) terrified," she said.
"Butterflies everywhere, and I'm just really looking forward to 6.01pm tonight.
"I know what I'm hoping and praying and we will just see."
Mr Newman still refuses to claim the victory, despite a Newspoll on Saturday showing overwhelming support for the LNP.
"It comes down to these individual battles - here in the Ashgrove electorate, in Broadwater, in Toowoomba north, in the Whitsundays and those battles around Cairns and Townsville," he said.
"It won't happen unless people turn out and change their vote. It's tough."
The elephant is a tradition started by Mr Newman's late father Kevin Newman, who carried an elephant with him as a lucky charm.
The former federal Liberal minister was given an elephant during his first political campaign.
"In 2004 when I was running for the (Brisbane) lord mayoralty a bloke came up to me randomly and just said, 'Here, you need a lucky elephant'," he said.
"So I've always had a green lucky elephant."
Mr Newman's mother, former Liberal senator Jocelyn Newman, advised her son to get plenty of sleep if he becomes premier.
"So long as he has enough sleep, he'll be pretty good," she told ABC Radio.
"He's a good son, he looks after his mum, he looks after his sister and you know, our lucky family."
Mr Newman will visit each of the polling booths in Ashgrove on Saturday before attending the LNP's election night function at the Hilton in Brisbane.
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