Seats to watch at Vic election

TEN OF THE SEATS TO WATCH IN THE VICTORIAN ELECTION:

• ALBERT PARK - Held by Labor, 2.1 pct margin after 2010 election, now 0.9

Labor's Martin Foley holds this seat but has Green preferences to thank for it after he polled well below the Liberal candidate on primary votes in 2010. His 2.1 per cent margin is just 0.9 after redistribution, and he will battle Liberal Shannon Eeles and Green David Collis to win trendy St Kilda, South Melbourne and Southbank.

• BELLARINE - Labor, 1.4 pct margin, now 2.5 pct Liberal

A former minister in the Bracks and Brumby governments, Labor MP Lisa Neville is now 2.5 per cent behind Liberal Ron Nelson after a boundary redistribution. Ms Neville has held the seat since 2002, after it had been Liberal for 10 years.

• BENTLEIGH - Liberal, 0.8 pct margin, now 0.9

A seat that traditionally swings to whoever wins government, Liberal MP Elizabeth Miller's margin is up to 0.9 per cent after boundary redistribution. Former Glen Eira councillor and Labor staffer Nick Staikos, Green Sean Mulcahy and independent Chandra Ojha will challenge Ms Miller for Bentleigh's south-eastern suburbs.

• CARRUM - Liberal, 2 pct margin, now 0.3

Liberal MP Donna Bauer had a two per cent lead, but redistribution has knocked that back to just 0.3. Carrum sits among the sand belt seats in Melbourne's growing south east, which turned Liberal to give the coalition a surprise win in 2010. Ms Bauer will face Labor candidate Sonya Kilkenny.

• ELTHAM - Labor, 0.8 pct margin, unchanged

Sitting Labor MP Steve Herbet is moving to the upper house. Labor staffer Vicki Ward and Banyule councillor and Liberal candidate Steven Briffa will fight it out for Eltham, which sits on the boundary of Melbourne's north-east city limits.

• FRANKSTON - Independent, was 2.1 pct margin to Liberal, now 0.4 Liberal

Liberal Geoff Shaw won the seat in 2010 but controversially quit the party in 2013 to sit as an independent. Liberal Sean Armistead and Labor's Paul Edbrooke will attempt to win the seat on Melbourne's south-east fringe, with Mr Shaw's preferences potentially crucial though he says he has a lot of support as he recontests the seat.

• MONBULK - Labor, 1.9 pct margin, now 1.1 pct Liberal

Deputy Labor leader James Merlino had a 1.9 per cent margin in 2010, but the redistribution puts him 1.1 per cent behind his Liberal challenger Mark Verschuur. Green Mike Clarke and conservation candidate Jordan Crook will also run in the leafy outer-eastern suburbs seat.

• RIPON - Labor, 2.7 pct margin, now 1.6 pct Liberal

The retirement of long-serving MP Joe Helper and the boundary redistribution means Labor faces a fight to retain this rural seat. Barrister Daniel McGlone will battle Liberal Louise Staley for votes in communities outside Ballarat.

• WENDOUREE - Labor, 1.1 per cent margin, now 0.1 per cent Liberal

Replacing the Labor-held seat of Ballarat West, Wendouree is now notionally a Liberal seat on a tiny 0.1 per cent margin. Sitting MP Sharon Knight will face off against her unsuccessful Liberal challenger for Ballarat West in 2010, Craig Coltman.

• YAN YEAN - Labor, 4.1 per cent margin, now 0.1 per cent Liberal

Significant boundary changes have made this Labor seat on Melbourne's northern fringe technically Liberal, but it's anyone's guess given a 0.1 per cent margin. Danielle Green, the Labor MP since 2002, had her 4.1 per cent margin wiped out, and she faces a tight race with Liberal candidate Sam Ozturk.

(SOURCE: ABC and Victorian Electoral Commission)

(NOTE: A boundary redistribution since the 2010 Victorian election has made a number of marginal seats even tighter. The VEC used ABC election analyst Antony Green to estimate the margins for the seats using the new boundaries)