Polls have closed in Solomon Islands after voters cast their ballots today in an atmosphere of tight security.

Key points: Australia has sent troops to assist with process despite the end of RAMSI two years ago

Australia has sent troops to assist with process despite the end of RAMSI two years ago Police have promised to deal with any attempts to interfere with the electoral process swiftly

Police have promised to deal with any attempts to interfere with the electoral process swiftly The result may change the country's diplomatic support for Taiwan over China

Voting closed at 5:00pm and counting is expected to begin tomorrow, but the results will not be known for several more weeks.

Security on the ground was heavy with about 1,600 local police officers deployed across the country, as citizens cast their ballots to choose 50 members of Parliament, from 333 candidates and 15 different parties.

Ajilon Nasiu, chairman of the electoral commission, told the ABC he was happy to see Solomon Islanders showing up to cast their votes.

"I'm very happy to see our people are happy to take part in this election," he said.

Riri Olivia and her 4-month-old son travelled to four different polling stations before she found her name to vote today in Honiara. ( ABC: Adilah Dolaiano )

Australia has supplied a number of defence helicopters to help with the logistical challenges that come with voters on remote islands and 1,041 polling stations.

Military teams from Australia and New Zealand will help relocate ballot boxes from remote locations to counting centres, Australian Defence Force Lieutenant Colonel Corey Shillabeer told the ABC.

Voters have their say

Police reported election day was a calm and peaceful one, with the electoral commission expected to make their first observations at 7:00pm.

A number of voters who the ABC spoke to said they felt reassured by the security presence and did not expect any trouble today.

"I'm happy, today I was swimming in my river, I saw the helicopter flying round," George Vari said.

"Our area has experienced trouble before, but I'm not panicked about it."

Pressley John said he did not believe there would be any disruptions.

"For me, I don't think anything will happen in town, I think we have safety in town, we wont have any problems," he said.

Voters line up to cast their ballot at White River Polling Station in Honiara. ( ABC: Evan Wasuka )

Election official Jude Devesi, who oversees voting in the capital, said there were more than 40,000 registered voters across the city's three constituencies, and he expected a high turnout.

"Despite the movement of people going back to their home province to vote in their home constituencies, we have seen a number of people moving from rural areas to the constituency. We expect the numbers to be still quite large."

Australia and NZ still active in country's affairs

It is the nation's first poll since the Australian-led, 14-year security mission known as RAMSI —the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands — ended in 2017, a mission that helped bring peace and stability to the country after years of ethnic tensions and killings.

Lieutenant Colonel Corey Shillabeer was part of the team collecting ballot boxes from remote locations to counting centres. ( ABC: Evan Wasuka )

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Australia remains Solomon Islands' biggest aid donor, dishing up $187 million this financial year, and alongside New Zealand is providing 200 defence force personnel, several helicopters, and navy ships to provide support during voting.

Personnel have spent the last few days delivering ballot boxes to remote communities.

The country's Police Commissioner Matthew Varley said he was confident voting would be safe, but he warned against anyone attempting to disrupt the process.

"I've heard reports that some candidates may blockade access to polling stations in the country in some locations," he said.

"Whether that's true I can't tell you, the police will be paying close attention to that and we will be dealing with it swiftly."

Early voters in West Honiara checking for their names on a voter identification list. ( ABC: Evan Wasuka )

Rumours of vote buying and electoral interference

Authorities are attempting to crack down on questionable campaigning — the night before the poll is known as "Devil's Night" in Solomon Islands.

Candidates and their agents have quite openly in the past given out cash and other gifts like food as they try to shore up last-minute votes.

A woman has her identity checked before she dips her finger in a blue pot of ink, showing she has voted in the Solomon Islands election. ( ABC: Adilah Dolaiano )

"Sadly vote buying on Devil's Night has now become a common aspect of elections in the country that people speak openly about it without remorse," anti-corruption group Transparency Solomon Islands said in a statement last week.

Commissioner Varley said the point of the Australian and New Zealand presence on the ground was to ensure that vote buying did not occur.

"My question is 'how much is your vote worth, how much is your voice worth?'" he said.

"Because this is what a person's vote is — the right to choose a leader. If we're going to sell our vote for $200 or a bag of rice ... I think we can do better than that."

Caught between China, Australia and Taiwan

The poll takes place amid a Pacific geopolitical struggle between China and the US and its allies — including Australia — and there's another diplomatic tug of war at play too.

Solomon Islands leader Rick Hou with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen (right). ( Supplied: Taiwan's Office of the President )

With a population of approximately 600,000 people, Solomon Islands is Taiwan's largest ally in the Pacific, but China's growing influence in the region and the looming election has put its relationship in the spotlight — China considers Taiwan to be a rogue breakaway province.

But Taipei has been a close friend to Solomon Islands, providing substantial aid assistance, including about $30 million in funds that are paid directly to members of Parliament for the sole purpose of developing their rural constituencies.

Still, there have been rumblings that Honiara could switch its allegiance to Beijing after the election, particularly given the nation has strong economic ties with China, which is Solomon Islands' largest export market.

Those rumours have been denied by leading political parties that the ABC has spoken to, but a review is on the cards for the party of caretaker Prime Minister Rick Hou.