Melbourne Ports MP Michael Danby insists he's no longer handing out Labor how-to-vote cards that preference the Liberals above the Greens - but his rivals claim that's exactly what's happening.
Greens polling suggests its candidate, Steph Hodgins-May, could receive more primary votes than Mr Danby with the sitting member's preferences helping elect the Liberal candidate Owen Guest on Saturday.
Mr Danby on Monday told AAP he was no longer handing out the controversial cards in defiance of the ALP national executive.
But Mr Guest, speaking outside an early voting centre, said: "I've seen him hand it out today - that's the truth of it".
The Liberal candidate said Mr Danby was playing both sides with two separate how-to-vote cards.
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"He has one which you'll see his supporters here handing out preferencing the Greens, and he has another one he pulls out of his pocket for certain people as they walk by."
But Mr Danby denies that's the case.
He said some people had simply held on to the how-to-vote cards preferencing the Liberal party above the Greens.
"People will continue to bring it in but it's not being handed out," he told AAP in St Kilda.
"I'm not handing it out now."
Greens leader Richard Di Natale on Monday called on Labor leader Bill Shorten to pull Mr Danby into line.
"Preferences will be absolutely decisive in this seat," Senator Di Natale said outside the same polling centre.
"Bill Shorten needs to come out and say emphatically that no more how-to-vote cards preferencing the Liberals from the Labor party will be handed out at this election."
Recent research commissioned by the Greens suggests Mr Guest could win 42 per cent of the primary vote on July 2, Ms Hodgins-May 27 per cent and Mr Danby 25 per cent.
But Mr Danby on Monday dismissed the "push polling" as "corrupted data" that wasn't independent.
"I'm keeping quite calm about it," he said, adding Ms Hodgins-May couldn't win because she'd spurned the local Jewish community when she refused to participate in a debate organised by the Australian Jewish News.
"You can't represent a seat like this and refuse to speak to 25 per cent of people."
Ms Hodgins-May, however, told AAP she had "excellent dialogue with the Jewish community".
