Politics, covering the age spectrum    School beefs up for election day

ARMIDALE 4.45pm: The sun is starting to fade in Armidale and the temperature is dropping, but there are still a steady stream of people voting at Town Hall.

Armidale ALP branch vice-president John Scott believes we could see an outcome from today's byelection as early as 7pm tonight.

Voting closes across the Tableands at 6pm

ARMIDALE 4.15pm: The Nationals' New England candidate Barnaby Joyce has arrived at Armidale Town Hall to support his state counterpart.

Senator Joyce has traveled to smaller towns across the region to campaign for Adam Marshall.

"This is democracy in action and I love to be a part of that process," he said.

Senator Joyce said Adam Marshall would probably win without the distribution of preferences, but claimed the federal election would be a different story.

"It's going to be a very tough run at the federal poll, and a win tonight would certainly be encouraging, but I'd never take it as a reflection of what happens next," he said.

ARMIDALE 3.30pm: Western Sydney MLC Helen Westwood has flown up to lend support to her Labor colleagues on the Newling Public School polling booths. She admits it will be a “tough one” for Labor, but says it;’s important to provide Labor voters with a choice and support.

She also said it was encouraging so many of her colleagues from Macquarie Street had flown up for “important byelection”.

GLEN INNES 3pm: There was no need to queue at the Glen Innes Public School polling place in the early afternoon, with just a steady trickle of voters coming in to cast their preferences.

There was not a pollie in sight. Country Labor, the Nationals and independent Kathryn Nicholson had helpers on hand to suggest a voting strategy, but overall it was quite a laidback affair.

ARMIDALE 2.30pm: The flow of voters have slowed at Armidale City Public School, where a cake stall sold out early from the high demand.

Armidale's Young Liberals are campaigning for Adam Marshall at the school, with president James Ellis throwing his full support behind the candidate.

Mr Ellis said he was feeling good about the Coalition's prospects at the election, but said Armidale was harder to determine than the rest of the electorate.

Labor campaigners at the school said it was "hard to tell" the way voters would respond at the polling booth.

Click the image below for more photos. More coverage below

ARMIDALE 12.45pm: Liberal MLC Scot MacDonald and Myall Lakes MP Stephen Bromhead are campaigning for Adam Marshall outside Newling Public School.

Mr Bromhead said Mr Marshall had a "very good chance", describing him as an excellent candidate for the Nationals.

"If he's elected it means we'll have 19 members in the lower house, which is only one less than the Labor Party," he said.

Internal polling and observations from many of the campaigners outside polling booths suggest Mr Marshall is the leading contender, followed by independent candidate Jim Maher.

ARMIDALE 12.30pm: Greens candidate Dora Koops says the election result is an "open question" and believes it could even come down to preferences

Ms Koops said it had been a busy morning and hoped the Greens would poll better than at the last election. The Greens will directing preferences to independent candidates Jim Maher and Katherine Nicholson.

ARMIDALE 11.45am: Armidale Dumaresq councillors have turned out to support their preferred candidates. 

Cr Andrew Murat is handing out how to vote cards for Adam Marshall at Ben Venue Public School, while Cr Rob Richardson is doing the same for Jim Maher. Meanwhile, Greens councillor Peter O'Donohue has been spotted at Armidale Town Hall supporting the party's candidate, Dora Koops

ARMIDALE 10.45am: Christian Democrats candidate Silvana Nero says she has received a lot of positive feedback from voters outside Armidale Town Hall.

The fiancee of Christian Democrats leader Fred Nile, Ms Nero said she was hopeful the party would receive a significant number of votes at the ballot box.

"The Northern Tablelands is a region with one of the highest numbers of Christian voters participating and getting involved, so I really believe we're going to have a very good result," she said.

Meanwhile, Country Labor candidate Herman Beyersdorf has cast his vote, probably the last of the candidates to do so at the Town Hall.

ARMIDALE 10.15am: Although the sun is shining after days of cloudy weather, campaigners of all colours are keeping rugged up in the shadow of Armidale Town Hall. 

A strong wind is also playing havoc with campaign posters, which have been strewn across the footpath. The top temperature expected in Armidale today is 15 degrees.

ARMIDALE 9.45am: Opposition Leader John Robertson says the campaign was always going to be tough for Labor, but said responses from voters heading to the ballot box had been "polite".

Mr Robertson will be campaigning across the electorate today.

Country Labor candidate Herman Beyersdorf said he was hoping to restore the party's standing following a disastrous result at the 2011 election.

ARMIDALE 8.45am: Polls have opened for the Northern Tablelands byelection.

Nationals candidate Adam Marshall and independent candidate Jim Maher have cast their votes, with Dr Maher thanking pre-poll voters for their support.

About 20 per cent of registered voters have already made their choice, with pre-polling recording high attendance rates.

While Armidale Town Hall usually has a queue of people waiting for polls to open, it was quiet this morning, with a steady stream coming through after 8am. 

Opposition Leader John Robertson has turned out to support Country Labor, while  Port Macquarie MP Leslie Williams is handing out how to vote cards for Mr Marshall.

Click the photo to see more images from polling day.

EARLIER COVERAGE

THOUSANDS of Northern Tablelands residents will head to their polling booths on Saturday to determine which one of seven candidates will be elected as their state MP.

The candidates, hailing from as close as Armidale to as far as Narabeen are from a host of political persuasions and have been hot on the campaign trail since nominations opened last month.

The byelection was needed after the shock resignation of independent state MP Richard Torbay in late March.

A NSW Electoral Commission spokesman said there would be 240 officials operating more than 50 polling booths on the day.

He said about 51,000 people were listed on the electoral roll.

Independent candidate Bill Bush, formerly of Glen Innes, has topped the ballot sheet for the byelection with former Gunnedah mayor and Nationals' candidate Adam Marshall coming in second.

Greens’ candidate Dora Koops comes in third followed by Country Labor candidate Herman Beyersdorf as fourth.

Inverell TAFE teacher and independent candidate Katherine Nicholson is fifth on the list, while Armidale Dumaresq mayor and independent candidate Jim Maher is sixth.

Upper House MP Fred Nile's fiancee Silvana Nero will contest the byelection for the Christian Democrats and will appear last on the ballot paper.

Mr Torbay also resigned from The Nationals after he was dumped as its candidate for the federal seat of New England on September 14.

Mr Torbay has not been seen since his resignation and has refused to comment on the reasons for his departure from public life.

Allegations about Mr Torbay have been referred to the Independent Commission Against Corruption.