Australia's first female Prime Minister Julia Gillard is facing an anxious wait as voting gets underway in one of the tightest elections the country has ever seen.
Huge swings against her Government in the closing days of the campaign have split the national vote according to The Australian and Gillard admits that it is going to be a close decision between her and rival Tony Abbott.
The polls are taking place two months after Gillard ousted Kevin Rudd in a leadership challenge and analysts claim she is suffering a backlash from the move.
