Julia Gillard has been prime minister for less than eight weeks, and during this period the Victorian MP has been busy trying to establish her credentials as the nation’s leader.

The man who would be king, Tony Abbott, has been leader of his party for less than nine months, and he too has been busy trying to prove he has what it takes to lead the Australian people.

In a campaign marked more by its lack of highlights than the headline-grabbing announcements and promises of cash that voters have become accustomed to, it stands to reason that perhaps there are more voters still undecided about who they will support this Saturday than would otherwise be expected.

Even a multitude of polls commissioned by the parties and the media fail to point to any clear winner at this point, further emphasising just how valuable every single vote is going to be.

Nationally, the Greens are favoured to win their first ever seat in the House of Representatives, while closer to home, there are still plenty of opportunities for candidates to try and impress voters, right up until they enter the polling booth on Saturday.

If the early indicators of a Bendigo Advertiser poll still under way are any indication, this is going to be a close race, and ultimately, that’s a good thing for our electorate and its people.