Victoria votes: Labor wins state election 2014

Daniel Andrews has thanked Victorians for giving him the greatest honour by electing his Labor party into government.

"The people of Victoria have today given to us the greatest of gifts," the incoming premier said in claiming victory on Saturday night.

"They've entrusted to us the greatest of responsibilities and bestowed upon us the greatest of honour.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we will not let them down."

He thanked outgoing premier Denis Napthine, who earlier called the Labor leader to concede defeat.

"I want to thank Denis Napthine for his gracious concession. I want to acknowledge his service to his local community and this state," Mr Andrews said.

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With his wife Cath and three young children by his side, Mr Andrews took to the stage around 10.15pm and outlined what Labor would do in government.

"The people of Victoria have today said no to tired negative politics. They have, instead, embraced and supported an optimistic and positive plan for our state's future," he said.

"A plan that is grounded in common sense, hard work and a determination to always listen to the great people of this great state."

He reasserted his election promises, including the removal of 50 of the most dangerous level crossings, ending the ambulance dispute, repairing the TAFE system, improving local roads and public transport, and getting people back to work.

He said he would get to work straight away.

"I will not waste even a single day delivering on each of the commitments that we have made, working hard to make sure that this is a fairer state, a more prosperous state, the progressive capital of our nation, the ideas capital of our nation," he said.

"That work begins tomorrow because I will not accept four more years like the last four."

Mr Andrews said "the very first piece of paper" he will sign as premier will be to send the ambulance pay dispute to the fair work commission.

Victorian election rolling coverage:

10pm: Victorian Premier Denis Napthine has conceded defeat in Saturday's state election, despite more than a million pre-poll votes still needing to be counted.

"The figures clearly indicate that there has been a swing to the Labor Party and they will have a majority in the legislative assembly," he told Liberal supporters.

"Therefore, it's appropriate for myself as leader of the government, as leader of the Liberal Party, to do the right thing by the people of Victoria and to contact Mr Andrews and inform him that I have conceded that he has won this election and we congratulate Mr Andrews on that victory."

With his wife Peggy and children by his side, a solemn Dr Napthine told the crowd at the Sofitel that he had been proud to have led the state.

"I am extremely proud to have had the honour and privilege to be the premier of this great state of Victoria," he said.

"This is the greatest state in the best country in the world.

"And I am particularly proud that today in 2014 Victoria is a better, stronger, more financially secure state than when we came to government four years ago."

The 62-year-old Dr Napthine came to power when Ted Baillieu surprised Victorians by resigning in March 2013.

He stepped into a hung parliament with rogue former Liberal Geoff Shaw calling the shots.

His government is now the first one-term government in nearly 60 years.

9.50pm: Federal Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has congratulated Daniel Andrews on his expected victory in the Victorian state election.

"He is a Labor hero and congratulations to him and Cath, they are fantastic people," Mr Shorten said as he arrived at the Labor party function in Mr Andrews' seat of Mulgrave.

"(He's) someone that has lived in Victoria their whole life, he will do great things for Victorians and the kids in the future."

9.45pm: Reports Denis Napthine has called Daniel Andrews to concede defeat. Coalition loses Government.

Seven reporter Nick McCallum says Napthine is due to address the party in 15 minutes.

9.30pm:

A sparse, subdued crowd gathered at Melbourne's Sofitel for the Liberal party post-election function.

To call the event a party would be misleading - the mood is grim, says Seven reporter Nick McCallum.

Premier Denis Napthine arrived around 6.30pm but retreated to a private room to watch the count with wife Peggy.

Dr Napthine is not expected to appear until it is time for one of the party leaders to make a concession speech, in all likelihood it will be him.

9.15pm: Liberal MP Geoff Shaw says he has no regrets about his time in politics as voting indicates he will lose his Frankston seat.

Mr Shaw entered the Victorian parliament as a Liberal but ended it as long-term irritant to the Napthine government.

His defection to the cross bench eroded the government's thin majority, and his suspension for misuse of parliamentary entitlements caused a period of deadlock in the lower house.

"I don't regret my time in parliament, and out of it I met some people who will be long-time friends," he said.

9.08pm: Two-party seat tally stands at ALP - 46 and coalition 34.

8.53pm: Labor figures Bruce Hawker and MP Richard Marles have also called a Labor win on Sky News.

Former federal treasurer Peter Costello said it was clear Premier Denis Napthine was in trouble.

"You would have to say the person in the box seat at the moment is Daniel Andrews."

Mr Costello said the Napthine campaign suffered because the Liberal Party failed to properly sell the East West Link plan.

"If the government was going to be re-elected and win the election it had to make that the dominant issue of the campaign," he said.

• Winning feeling at Labor Party function

• Spirits low at Liberal Party function

8.34pm: The Greens have claimed the seat of Melbourne in the Victorian election, the party's first seat in the state's lower house, with Ellen Sandell successfully challenging Labor's hold.

Ms Sandell was loudly cheered as she thanked the party faithful for their support in winning the Greens' first ever lower house Victorian seat at underground inner city laneway bar.

"This victory doesn't belong to me at all, it belongs to all that knocked on doors, made calls and spent your evenings, your nights working for the Greens," Ms Sandell, 29, told those gathered at a bar in the Melbourne CBD on Saturday night.

"I'll work every day starting tomorrow for a fairer society and a cleaner economy."

The Greens are also in with a chance to take Richmond from Labor.

8.31pm:

Former Liberal Premier Jeff Kennett said a Labor victory was likely unless 1.1 million pre-poll votes were dramatically different.

"In all the seats that we needed to do well in, in order to hang onto - the drift is going away from us," he told the Seven Network.

"We're heading towards a Labor win. I think they'll be a lot of soul searching after this."

Meanwhile former Premier Steve Bracks said it was a "clear win" for Labor.

"It's a workable and good majority for the soon to be new Premier Daniel Andrews in the state," he told the ABC.

8.16pm:
The ABC has called a change of Government for Victoria.

With just 36 per cent of the vote counted, the ABC says Labor has enough seats to win.

ABC election analyst Antony Green said he believed Labor holds at least 46 seats, with a prediction they could end up with 48 seats overall.

He said Daniel Andrews' Labor team could end up with 48 overall.

Former premier Steve Bracks said he was confident.

"I believe that Daniel Andrews is going to be the next premier of Victoria," Mr Bracks told the ABC.

8pm:

Deputy Labor leader retains the marginal seat of Monbulk over Liberal challenger Mark Verschuur. Green Mike Clarke and conservation candidate Jordan Crook also ran in the leafy outer-eastern suburbs seat.

7.55pm:
Guest panelist Jeff Kennett was kind enough to bring a gift along for his good friend PUP leader Clive Palmer - a Western Bulldogs guernsey and hat.

However, his kind gesture did not come without a challenge - to perform the Western Bulldogs' song 'Sons of the Sea' to the 'Happy team of Hawthorn' theme tune.

We can confirm Palmer passed with flying colours. His rendition was heard by all in the Seven newsroom - and not just once!

7.40pm:

Seven's Nick Etchells reporting that early results suggest Independent MP Geoff Shaw will lose Frankston seat.

7.30pm:
ABC election analyst Antony Green says Victorian Labor opposition is experiencing a swing of 2.5 per cent in its favour in early counting.

"It's not enough to call it but we are starting to see the shift that has been expected," he told the ABC.

"It's hard to do it in terms of individual seats but at the moment we are seeing that those figures will indicate Labor will gain seats at this election."

Labor needs two seats to make the coalition Victoria's first one-term government since Labor was voted out in 1955.

Before the election, the coalition held 44 seats in Victoria's 88-seat parliament, Labor has 43, with one independent.

With 6.7 per cent of the vote counted, Mr Green said there were a lot of seats in doubt, but the coalition had 34 and Labor 35.

"We have got a lot of seats in doubt. I will say this at the moment, eight of the Coalition's most marginal seats, Labor is currently ahead in plus another two further down the pendulum," Mr Green said.

Liberal MP Mary Wooldridge, who's on the ABC panel, said there was "still some way to go but early signs are not positive."

Former premier Steve Bracks said there was a good chance Labor could pick up Burwood from the Liberals.

7.15pm:
Seven's official hashtag #yoursay7 is now trending in Victoria. Don't forget to join our election debate on Twitter!

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6.59pm
Victorian Premier Denis Napthine has arrived at his Melbourne hotel to wait out the count in Saturday's state election. He'll attend the Liberal party function at the Sofitel hotel in central Melbourne later on Saturday night.

Daniel Andrews will attend the Labor function at Mulgrave in his electorate.

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It appears the Victorian Greens party is in full swing, judging by this tweet from Seven reporter Kate Jones.

6.55pm
Independent MP Geoff Shaw has arrived at Frankston Headquarters as the count continues.

6.45pm
Here's a couple of key facts about the make-up of Victorian government:
The coalition has 44 seats in Victoria's 88-seat parliament, Labor has 43, with one independent.

Labor needs two seats to make the coalition Victoria's first one-term government since Labor was voted out in 1955.

6.44pm
Exit polls taken by the Seven Network have Labor in front with 51.1 per cent of the vote to the coalition's 48.9 per cent.

6.24pm:
Political heavyweights in the building for Seven's special coverage of the election 2014. Former Premiers Jeff Kennett and John Brumby, leader of the Palmer United Party Clive Palmer and Lord Mayor of Melbourne Robert Doyle join our presenters on the panel.

6pm:
Polling booths have closed, Victorian voters have had their say, and they could know who won the state election in just a few hours.

Of the 3.8 million eligible voters in Victoria, a record 1.1 million of them cast their votes before election day.

Counting has begun at 1784 voting centres, and the Victorian Electoral Commission is predicting first results will start trickling through from 7pm.

About 2000 pre-poll votes will be counted in each seat.

Last-minute opinion polls still have Labor's Daniel Andrews ahead of Premier Denis Napthine.

But some have the coalition making up ground.

If the outcome is tight, the result of the election might not be known until next week.

• Victoria Votes: Full election coverage

Twitter facts on polling day

The #Vicvotes election has been huge on Twitter, says social media expert Nathan Burman.

"There has already been more tweets about the election today alone than during the entire 2010 election campaign," he told Seven News.

Trending hashtags: #Vicvotes #Springst #VicPol #EWLink #Napthine #BetterVic

Most used terms in relation to the election:
1. Election
2. Napthine
3. Labor
4. Liberal
5. Abbott
6. Greens
7. Booth
8. Andrews
9. Sausage
10. Voted

Leaders in close race

Polls on election eve indicated Labor were leading 52-48 on a two party preferred basis, while Newspoll in the Weekend Australian put the coalition's primary vote at 40 per cent, ahead of Labor on 39 per cent and the Greens on 12 per cent.

Mr Andrews said he wouldn't be taking anything for granted.

"I've never taken anything in my life for granted and I certainly won't take the people of Victoria for granted," he told reporters.

Useful related links and information:

• Victorian election 2014: Electorate guide

• Seats to watch at Victorian election 2014

• Vic election 2014 by the numbers

• What the Victorian parties have promised

• Five key election issues

• Find out more about Victorian party leaders

• Timeline: Victoria's 39 Premier's since 1900

Dr Napthine urged voters to consider their options and vote for a stable coalition with a strong track record.

"It's going to be a close election but that's what democracy's about, the people having their choice and we'll all accept the will of the people," he said.

Dr Napthine spent the day visiting polling booths in his electorate of South-West Coast.

He cast his own vote with his wife Peggy by his side in his hometown of Port Fairy.

Both leaders are now in Melbourne awaiting the outcome.

A Labor win would render the Napthine government Victoria's first one-term administration since 1955.

Related stories:

• Polls open in state election

• Leaders cast votes in Vic election battle

• Labor on the brink of victory in election race?

• Vic election: Leaders poised for close race

• Greens confident of lower house seat