Australia's only Liberal premier believes he is "within a whisker" of being returned to majority in Tasmania, as polls point to an island state hung parliament.
Liberal leader Jeremy Rockliff and Labor leader Rebecca White have made their final pitches to voters ahead of Saturday's state election.
The poll was called more than a year early after the Liberals, who were plunged into minority in May, failed to resolve a stand-off with two crossbench MPs.
Voter surveys point to a hung parliament with the Liberals securing more seats than Labor but not the 18 required for majority.
The Liberals are chasing a record fourth successive term against a Labor party that has been in opposition for a decade.
"We are within a whisker of majority government," Mr Rockliff told reporters on Friday.
"The polls are saying we are nearly there to form majority government."
Polling indicates the Liberals will fall a few seats short of majority, with Labor a handful of seats behind and more than a third of voters snubbing the two parties.
The Tasmania Electoral Commission said final results may not be known until the week of April 8 because of Easter public holidays, a record number of candidates and an expanded parliament.
Tasmania is restoring its lower house from 25 to 35 members, with seven MPs to be elected in each of the five electorates under the Hare-Clark system.
Almost 90,000 votes have been cast early at either a pre-poll centre, by post or by phone.
The pre-poll centre tally was 66,352 at 5.30pm on Thursday and expected to exceed the 2021 election mark of 69,664.
"There is no doubt this election is going to be close, and we've known that for a long time," Ms White said in Hobart.
"People are moving away from the Liberal government after 10 years. I hear that everywhere I go. There is a mood for change."
Both Mr Rockliff and Ms White are prepared to govern in minority but have ruled out doing "deals" or compromising policy positions to get there.
A potential cross bench will likely include members of the Greens, Jacqui Lambie Network candidates and independents.
Former Liberals John Tucker and Lara Alexander, whose decision to quit the party put the government in minority, are running as independents.
Other independents include former Liberal speaker Sue Hickey, one-time Labor leader David O'Byrne and Kristie Johnston, the sole independent elected in 2021.
The election could herald the political return of conservative former senator Eric Abetz, who is running for the Liberals in Franklin.
Mr Rockliff and Ms White are at loggerheads over plans for a $715 million stadium in Hobart - a condition of the state being granted a team in the AFL.
The Liberals signed the deal and back the project, while Ms White has said it is not the right priority and wants to re-negotiate the contract.
She has also campaigned heavily on promises to help with cost-of-living struggles, including free school lunches and a cap on power prices.
Mr Rockliff has spruiked his "2030 Strong Plan" which targets "cost-of-living, health, and housing".
The previous parliament was made up of 11 Liberals, eight Labor members, two Greens and four independents.
