The Victorian Coalition is hopeful it will regain traditional strongholds in Melbourne's east but fear the result of the election may not be known on election night,
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"We think we're in the hunt after today to win government," opposition transport infrastructure spokesman Matt Bach told AAP.
"Obviously I'm desperately hoping from a Liberal-National Party win and that could well be the outcome tonight, or maybe tomorrow."
The North Eastern Metropolitan MP said early indications from booths in Hawthorn made him hopeful Liberal John Pesutto would regain the once-blue-ribbon seat, which he sensationally lost in 2018.
Mr Bach said changing demographics in neighbouring Box Hill could make it trickier for the coalition to win the seat back from incumbent Labor MP Paul Hamer but was confident of holding Caulfield and Brighton in Melbourne's southeast.
He said the campaign defied early polling which predicted a WA style wipeout and thought there'd be significant swings towards the coalition in traditional Labor areas such as Ivanhoe, held by current Police Minister Anthony Carbines on a margin of more than 12 per cent.
"We've got a huge mountain to climb tonight but I think as long as we hold those seats that have been under threat, that are our current seats, we're in the game."
Party faithful arrived early at leader Matthew Guy's election party at a bowls club in his electorate of Bulleen, but Mr Guy had not joined the party early.
Earlier on Saturday the opposition leader pledged to steer Victoria's post-pandemic recovery by fixing healthcare and reducing debt if he is elected premier.
He said the coalition's proposed $2 flat fare for public transport and $10 billion healthcare plan were examples of how his party would help give Victorians a fresh start.
"I just hope all Victorians after today get the government that we know we need so much in this state," Mr Guy told reporters.
Mr Guy was joined by his wife Renae and their three children as he cast his ballot in his electorate of Bulleen.
Liberal health spokeswoman Georgie Crozier said it had been a tough campaign.
"But we've made our case... and we have made our priorities very clear," she said on Seven Network.
Nepean Liberal candidate and former tennis player Sam Groth said he was "quietly confident" as early counting showed him making ground in the Labor-held seat.
Labor leads the coalition 54.5 per cent to 45.5 per cent on a two-party preferred basis, according to the latest Newspoll published by The Australian.
Australian Associated Press
