More than a million South Australians are about to let their state's politicians and political hopefuls know the seating arrangements for the next Parliament.

In the days ahead it will become evident who has succeeded and who has failed in their quests for political glory.

Labor hopes to stretch its time in power to a fourth consecutive term, but opinion polls have suggested the Liberals are set to take power after the March 15 election.

You can follow election night as it unfolds here at ABC News Online and on ABC TV and radio. Here is a handy guide to some of the things to watch out for on Saturday evening.

1. Ministers in the firing line

Some key ministers of Jay Weatherill's Labor team are facing a battle to retain their seats in the South Australian Parliament.

Grace Portolesi is trying to fend off Liberal challenger Vincent Tarzia in Hartley and Tom Kenyon has a narrow hold in Newland, where he is being challenged by Glen Docherty for the Liberals.

Chloe Fox is clinging to a tiny margin in the south-west suburban seat of Bright and is in the sights of Liberal challenger David Speirs.

Another of Labor's ministers Leon Bignell is being challenged in Mawson by Liberal Stephen Annells.

In northern Adelaide, Light is held by minister Tony Piccolo by a small margin and he is in the sights of Liberal candidate Cosie Costa.

Former high-profile Labor minister Pat Conlon is leaving politics and a margin of just 2 per cent in his seat of Elder, which Liberal candidate Carolyn Habib will be hoping to sweep aside.

Ms Habib's profile was boosted when a stoush erupted in the final week of the campaign over whether a Labor flyer about her was racist.

Vincent Tarzia is hoping to oust Labor minister Grace Portolesi in Hartley ( Facebook )

2. The seat that often gives a clue

Mawson, in Adelaide's south, is considered a 'bellwether' seat for South Australian elections.

For more than four decades it has been won by the party which formed government, the only exception occurring in 2002.

At that poll the Liberals won the seat, had high hopes of forming government but Labor's Mike Rann eventually pulled together the numbers when they were tested in the Parliament.

He formed a minority government with the backing of former Liberal Peter Lewis as the speaker and support from other conservatives, including Nationals' MP Karlene Maywald.

At this election, Labor's Leon Bignell is defending a tight margin in a seat which defied the statewide swing toward the Liberals at the 2010 poll.

3. New faces for the next parliament

The Liberals have high hopes of adding a swag of fresh faces to the new South Australian parliament, but Labor too hopes to introduce some fresh blood.

As mentioned above, possible new Liberal faces include David Speirs, Vincent Tarzia, Glen Docherty, Carolyn Habib and Stephen Annells.

In the western suburbs electorate of Lee, newcomer Stephen Mullighan will be looking to hold onto the seat for the ALP after the retirement of Michael Wright.

Other retiring Labor MPs considered to be in safe seats are Lyn Breuer in Giles (11.9pc margin), John Hill in Kaurna (8.8pc) and Robyn Geraghty (8.2pc) in Torrens.

Former ALP senator and union official Dana Wortley will be trying to make the switch to state politics in Torrens.

Chris Picton hopes to replace his former boss, John Hill, in Kaurna and Eddie Hughes, a long-time local councillor, is keen to be the new member in Giles.

Stephen Mullighan (R) is a Labor hope for fresh blood in parliament ( Facebook )

4. Power of the independents

There are three independents in the House of Assembly and the Liberals will have the seat of Mount Gambier, in the south-east, as their biggest target.

Former mayor Don Pegler snatched the seat from the Liberals last time voters went to the ballot box and holds it by a wafer-thin 0.5 per cent.

In the Port Pirie region of the mid-north of SA, Geoff Brock in the Frome electorate will be another target for the major parties but it is a seat Labor has not won for many years and one the Liberals would need a swing of close to 7 per cent to wrest back.

The third of the independents in the current parliament is former Liberal Bob Such, whose Adelaide suburban seat of Fisher is held by a big margin.

If there is a tight outcome from the South Australian election, it would give successful independents a chance of having a pivotal role in the next parliament.

5. Labor's inner city hope

The ALP has put high-profile Prospect mayor David O'Loughlin into the electorate of Adelaide in the hope of taking back a seat it lost in a huge swing to the Liberals back in 2010.

Mr O'Loughlin has been a Prospect councillor since 2003 and mayor of the inner northern suburbs of Adelaide since 2006.

But opinion polling suggests Liberal Rachel Sanderson will hold the seat and deny Labor a gain in 2014.

Ms Sanderson has a small business background in modelling agencies.

All smiles during the campaign: Labor candidates Annabel Digance and David O'Loughlin, 891 ABC's Matt Abraham and David Bevan, Liberals Rachel Sanderson, David Speirs and Carolyn Habib and Labor MP Chloe Fox ( ABC: Eliza Kirsch )

6. Three-way fight in Labor seat

Another of the southern suburban seats, Mitchell, was won by Labor's Alan Sibbons at the 2010 poll when he beat independent and former Labor MP Kris Hanna.

Mr Sibbons is facing a challenge from Liberal candidate Corey Wingard, but the fight has been made more complex by Mr Hanna's decision to throw his hat in the ring.

One of the delightful moments of 2014 campaigning came when Mr Sibbons, standing behind the Premier, caught the eye of an infant while a funding promise was being made at Flinders Medical Centre.

Sorry, this video has expired 'Baby moment' on the SA election trail

7. Facebook left Ramsay challenger red-faced

Labor will be hoping for a solid performance in its safest seat, Ramsay, in the northern suburbs of Adelaide.

Zoe Bettison has a buffer of close to 18 per cent and Liberal candidate Anthony Antoniadis drew attention for the wrong reasons during the election campaign, when he was forced to apologise over Facebook comments criticising the dress sense, hygiene and work ethic of some people living in the northern area.

Sorry, this video has expired Liberal Party backs controversial candidate ( Nick Harmsen )

8. The Xenophon factor

Independent Senator Nick Xenophon is not running for the state poll, but all the X-Team posters across the state might make some voters think he is.

When he moved to the federal arena, his Legislative Council place was filled by John Darley, who now is seeking an eight-year term through re-election.

Whether Mr Darley has the X-factor in the minds of voters will be worth watching.

Labor, in particular, has been targeting the Xenophon factor in its campaigning for the 2014 poll.

Family First also is hoping to keep its influence in the state upper house, with Dennis Hood up for re-election, and the Greens' state leader Mark Parnell is seeking another term.

Will the X-Factor work for John Darley? ( ABC News )

9. Crunch time for leaders

It is crunch time for first-term Liberal MP Steven Marshall, who was elevated to the party leadership more than a year ago.

If he delivers government to the Liberals after they have spent more than a decade on the opposition benches, the spotlight will be trained on his every move and decision.

Crunch time is also here for Labor's Jay Weatherill, who replaced long-serving Mike Rann as premier after the 2010 poll and is facing the voters as leader for the first time.

If he gives Labor a fourth consecutive term, he would be hailed for achieving a political miracle.

A loss will have the party looking at its leadership options.

Mr Marshall made a final day slip-up on the campaign trail when he urged South Australian voters to choose Labor, but he continued his news conference without even flinching.

Sorry, this video has expired Liberal leader urges vote for Labor

10. Federal reaction to the result

Watch for the reaction out of Canberra to the outcomes of the state polls in both South Australia and Tasmania.

Labor losses could see coast-to-coast Liberal administrations in the states and the nation's capital.

Expect Prime Minister Tony Abbott and his team to play up such a scenario.

If Labor hangs on to power, Opposition Leader Bill Shorten will be playing it up as a message to the coalition in Canberra.