9:30am: The Nationals' John Cobb has retained the seat of Calare for his third term, after securing 57.9 per cent of the votes.
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With a total of 87,494 first preference votes counted, The Nationals candidate recorded 47,977 votes and a swing of 5.55 per cent.
Looking at the other candidates for the seat of Calare (in order of votes)
- Labor's Jess Jennings received 25.47 per cent of votes (21,086) and a swing of -3.58 per cent.
- The Palmer United Party's Brian Cain received 4.77 per cent of votes (3,949) and a swing of 4.77 per cent.
- The Greens' David Mallard received 4.19 per cent of votes (3,468) with a swing of -1.81 per cent.
- Independent Macgregor Ross received 2.60 per cent of the vote (2,152) with a swing of 0.56 per cent.
- Christian Democratic Party's Ian Lyons has received 1.75 per cent of votes (1,445) and a swing of -0.30 per cent.
- Katter's Australian Party's Billie Kirkland has received 1.38 per cent of votes (1,142) and a swing of 1.38 per cent.
- Australia First Party's Peter Schultze has received 1.07 per cent of votes (883) with a swing of 1.07 per cent.
- Democratic Labour Party's Anthony Craig has received 0.82 per cent of the votes (678) with a swing of 0.82 per cent.
9.15pm: This concludes our rolling coverage for the seat of Calare during the 2013 election.
We leave you with 69.48 per cent of first preference votes counted and The Nationals' John Cobb retaining the seat with 57.24 per cent of votes (38,305) and a swing of 4.75 per cent.
Looking at the other candidates for the seat of Calare (in order of votes)
- Labor's Jess Jennings has received 26.14 per cent of votes (17,491) and a swing of -3.22 per cent.
- The Palmer United Party's Brian Cain has received 4.66 per cent of votes (3,119) and a swing of 4.66 per cent.
- The Greens' David Mallard has received 4.42 per cent of votes (2,961) with a swing of -1.30 per cent.
- Independent Macgregor Ross has received 2.44 per cent of the vote (1,633) with a swing of 0.54 per cent.
- Christian Democratic Party's Ian Lyons has received 1.72 per cent of votes (1,153) and a swing of -0.30 per cent.
- Katter's Australian Party's Billie Kirkland has received 1.42 per cent of votes (951) and a swing of 1.42 per cent.
- Australia First Party's Peter Schultze has received 1.08 per cent of votes (726) with a swing of 1.08 per cent.
- Democratic Labour Party's Anthony Craig has received 0.87 per cent of the votes (583) with a swing of 0.85 per cent.
A total of 79,645 votes have been so far counted.
9pm: Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is shortly expected to concede that Labor has lost the federal election from Brisbane.
8.45pm: The Nationals' John Cobb has held the seat of Calare for the past two terms, and looks set to hold it for a third.
Before Mr Cobb the seat was held by Independent Peter Andren (1996 to 2007) and ALP member David Simmons (1983 - 1996).
The National Country Party / National Party member to hold the seat before John Cobb was AJ Mackenzie who was the member between 1975 and 1983.
8.25pm: There has now been 58.67 per cent of the vote counted and it looks like The Nationals' John Cobb will easily hold the seat.
He has so far received 56.86 per cent of the votes (a total of 32,094 of the 59,843 counted) and a swing of 4.28 per cent.
8pm: We now have 53.72 per cent of first preference votes counted.
The Nationals' John Cobb holds 56.86 per cent of votes with a swing of 4.35 per cent. Labors Jess Jennings has received 25.79 per cent of the votes and a swing of -3.68 per cent.
7.30pm: Labor's Jess Jennings trails behind The Nationals' candidate John Cobb in the voting.
With 37.57 per cent of the votes now counted Mr Cobb has received 55.82 per cent of the votes around the electorate, while Mr Jennings has 26.65 per cent.
7pm: With counting just an hour in The Nationals' John Cobb has the majority of the votes so far with 7,476 recorded (57.06 per cent). He is followed by Labor candidate Jess Jennings who has received 3,360 votes (25.64 per cent).
Continuing in order of votes are:
- David Mallard (The Greens) with 653 votes
- Brian Cain (Palmer United Party) with 634 votes
- Macgregor Ross (Independent) with 348 votes
- Billie Kirkland (Katter's Australia Party) with 196 votes
- Ian Lyons (Christian Democratic Party - Fred Nile Group) with 183 votes
- Anthony Craig (Democratic Labor Party) with 133 votes
- Peter Schultze (Australia First Party) with 120 votes
A total of 17,192 votes have so far been counted.
6.45pm: We have now published a live map showing electorate-by-electorate results.
Click here to view the map as the counting starts across the country.
6.20pm: With the polls now closed we take a look back on how the 2010 Federal Election played out for the seat of Calare.
In 2010 93,873 people voted in the Calare electorate. Of those votes 89,242 votes were formal while 4.631 votes were informal.
The Nationals' John Cobb won the seat with 46,775 votes or 52.41 per cent of the vote and a swing of 25.91 per cent.
Ina two party preferred vote The Nationals received 60.74 per cent while Country Labor received 39.26 per cent.
How will the 2013 election play out? We will keep you updated here tonight.
6pm: The polls are closed.
5.30pm: Congratulations to Parkes, Lachlan and Forbes Shires Roads Safety Officer Melanie Suitor who celebrated her wedding today.
Melanie called into the Coventry Room at the Parkes Library in her wedding dress to record her vote on the way to her wedding with attendants Melissa Archer and Claire Donlan.
(The photo of Melanie is in the gallery above).
Congratulations Melanie!
5.18pm: Are you waiting for the counting to start at 6pm? Why not have a flick through the gallery above from polling booths around the Calare electorate while you wait? Our photographers have been out and about this morning.
5pm: The battle for Calare appears to have taken a nasty turn in the last hours of the campaign, with a rock thrown through the window of a Bathurst home today.
Residents of the home had erected a billboard supporting Labor's candidate for Calare, Jess Jennings, in today's poll.
4.20pm: The Roy Morgan - Channel 10 4pm exit poll puts the Coalition ahead of Labor 42.5 per cent to 33.5 per cent.
The poll has been taken from a sample of 4,096 Australian voters.
4pm: We have had some amazing weather across the electorate today, perfect for you to get out with the family after you cast your vote.
Current temperatures around the region (from weatherzone.com) are:
- Bathurst: 24.4 degrees
- Orange: 19.8 degrees
- Lithgow: 22.3 degrees
- Parkes: 24.8 degrees
- Blayney: 19.8 degrees
- Oberon: 19.9 degrees
- Forbes: 24.4 degrees
3.30pm: There are only 2.5 hours until the polls close. Have you voted today? And did you vote below the line for the senate (white paper)?
One Orange resident sat down a few nights ago and worked out 1 to 110 the order upon which he would vote for the senate. He said he had real problems between numbers 30 and 80, knowing who he liked (1 - 30) and hated (80 - 110) but the rest he said he either disliked about the same or otherwise had no idea who they were.
He took his piece of paper into the polling booth today when he voted so he could remember the order.
3pm: Election Day and sausage sizzles go hand in hand. Why not #shareasnag with your family and friends by retweeting the tweet below.
2.30pm: The seat of Calare has nine candidates contesting this election.
Sausage sizzles and election day go hand in hand. Share your election day snag with friends #shareasnag #auspol pic.twitter.com/vYAsRMyHio
— NSW Central West (@FairfaxNSWwest) September 7, 2013
In order of the ballot paper they are:
- John Cobb (Nationals and current sitting member)
- Billie Kirkland (Katter's Australian Party)
- Ian Lyons (Christian Democratic Party - Fred Nile Group)
- Jess Jennings (Labor)
- Ross Macgregor (Independent)
- Brian Cain (Palmer United Party)
- David Mallard (The Greens)
- Anthony Craig (Democratic Labor Party)
- Peter Schultze (Australia First Party)
Earlier in the campaign we gave each candidate their chance to tell you why you should vote for them. Click here for the video/audio wall.
2pm: Welcome to Fairfax Regional's rolling coverage of the 2013 Federal Election.
Have you voted yet today? Check back here this afternoon and evening to follow our rolling coverage of the event with photos, maps, quick facts and of course the counting this evening after the polls close at 6pm.