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Record levels of pre-polling mean the ACT will have a snapshot of voting patterns in the "most important election" since self-government by early Saturday evening. But Canberrans will be going to the polls without knowing the true cost of flagship policies from the Liberals and Labor, which were dumped on Treasury right before deadline, leaving it unable to give them proper scrutiny. Election-eve was punctuated by a string of late developments. Labor's misuse of fake Medicare cards was referred to the Australian Federal Police, while community clubs continued their vigorous campaign against Labor with full-page newspaper advertisements and a mass text-messaging campaign, which urged voters to favour the Liberals. UnionsACT were making last-minute robo-calls to voters and continued to deliver 20,000 cards at bus stops promoting light rail, which closely resembled the "Transport Canberra" cards used for buses. The three leaders used Friday to make last-ditch bids for votes at locations of significance; Liberal leader Jeremy Hanson was at Gungahlin shops, a crucial electorate for both sides, and Labor leader Andrew Barr visited the Canberra Hospital campus, in an effort to reinforce their early campaign focus on health and hospitals. Greens leader Shane Rattenbury campaigned at Garema Place in Civic, consistent with the Greens' "community first" platform, saying they were hopeful of picking up a seat in each of the five electorates. All three agreed the election was the most important since self-government. "One way or the other, this election will determine what sort of future Canberra has. I do agree this is the most important election we've had in the history of self-government in Canberra," Mr Barr said. He predicted a hung Parliament, consistent with every result since 1989 bar one, and said that would mean working with other parties, which Labor has "done in the past, and will do so in the future". Mr Hanson was still styling himself the underdog on Friday, but said the Liberals believed the mood of the electorate had dramatically shifted. He similarly predicted a tight result. "They're all close, this one will be close, every vote will matter," he said. A series of key policies from both parties remain uncosted, due to their late submission to Treasury. An important part of Labor's health plan – a $70 million expansion of the women and children's hospital – has gone uncosted because of its late submission, despite it being announced weeks ago. Election costings also showed that Labor's promise of $21 million per year to upgrade schools is mostly using old money already budgeted year-to-year for school upgrades. The new money is actually about $6 million a year, on top of the existing budget of nearly $15 million. Significantly, the Liberals have failed to submit to Treasury their plan to slow down Labor's rate rises, a centrepiece of their campaign that they've claimed would be revenue-neutral. Another flagship Liberal plan, one to put bus lanes and a bike path down Northbourne Avenue, remains uncosted because Treasury said there were too many unknowns. The Liberals estimated it would cost $58 million, significantly lower than an estimate in a 2012 consultant's report for a different Gungahlin to Civic rapid bus route, which quoted the work at at least $300 million. Their plan to bring in eight new Rapid bus services, posited as an alternative to light rail, also remains uncosted due to its late submission, despite it being publicly announced months ago. Friday, traditionally the busiest day of pre-polling in ACT elections, continued to drive high numbers of early voting in the 2016 campaign. By about 6.30pm on Saturday, the ACT Electoral Commission expects to have counted the electronic pre-poll votes, numbering about 67,100 by 4.30pm on Friday with pre-polling continuing in the evening. That is more than a quarter of about 255,000 votes expected. But if voting is close, as widely predicted, a final result may not be known for another week, after the deadline for postal votes. The greatly expanded Assembly, which goes from 17 members to 25, will see two retirements, Labor's Simon Corbell and the Liberals' Val Jeffrey. That means there will be 10 new members in the Parliament, even if every remaining sitting member is returned. Before 7pm, counts will begin coming in from the polling booths. Just the first preferences from paper ballots will be counted on the night, with the rest of the preferences waiting until after ballot papers are scanned from Monday. With no tally room this year, the Electoral Commission will update its website with results as they arrive. About 8.30pm electronic votes made in the six electronic booths will be added to the mix.

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