Australians head to the polls

Australians are voting in a general election, with opposition leader Tony Abbott's Liberal-National coalition aiming to bring to an end six years of Labor government.

The first exit polls have indicated that Abbott may enjoy a 25-seat victory. Polls have now closed in the country's east coast.

The rivals are split on how to tackle Australia's budget deficit, but both have pledged tough action to stop asylum seekers arriving by boat.

All citizens over 18 must vote by law. More than 14 million people are expected to vote in Saturday's election. Shortly before the polls opened, Australia's election commission revealed that a record 3.2 million ballots had already been cast in early voting.

The election was called after Kevin Rudd ousted Julia Gillard in a leadership challenge in June, amid dismal polling figures. Gillard had herself ousted Rudd as prime minister in 2010.

Labor initially saw its figures improve significantly. But in recent weeks Abbott has again broadened the gap. He has enjoyed the strident support of Rupert Murdoch's newspapers, and remains ahead in the opinion polls.