Scott Morrison has returned to the embrace of his daughters and beloved Sutherland Shire while casting his vote in Sydney.
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The prime minister was surrounded by familiar faces at the Lilli Pilli Public School in his electorate of Cook on Saturday afternoon.
There were no election day sausage sizzles in sight but the prime minister did snag a tray of cakes.
He also went home with a small guitar carving complete with the nickname "ScoMo" engraved - a gift from the local woodworking club.
His old neighbour Val Coy, outside the school gates handing out Liberal how-to-vote cards, wrapped her arms around him.
"I better go and vote for this bloke now - I hear he's pretty good," the prime minister joked.
However, it looks like his vote might not be enough, with all signs pointing to a Labor win nationwide.
Mr Morrison and wife Jenny shared a kiss and a cuddle after he posted his ballot.
"This community means the world to me," he told reporters afterwards, flanked by Jenny and daughters Abbey and Lily, while a swathe of Liberal supporters watched on.
"Wherever you live in this country, home is the place that is always most dear to you."
Although, not everybody shared his enthusiasm to be back in the Shire.
One anti-Adani protester was dragged off by police after trying to rush at the prime minister.
Another young woman was shepherded away after giving him the middle finger salute.
Mr Morrison insists he is still energised after the gruelling five-week campaign.
"I am so up for this because the people of Australia have energised me so much and continue to," he said.
"That is why I will burn for them every single day in this job."
But he was making "no assumptions" before watching the polling numbers roll in at a Liberal Party event in Sydney on Saturday night.
The prime minister's campaign was frenetically busy to the bitter end.
Mr Morrison juggled birthdays and babies during a last-ditch blitz of northern Tasmania.
He swooped on the Apple Isle on Saturday morning, with the coalition trying to win every vote possible to snatch the marginal seats of Bass and Braddon from Labor.
The prime minister said the electorates would decide "not just who the next local member is, but who the next prime minister is".
"Tasmania in significant ways is going to decide what happens in this election," Mr Morrison said.
He visited a voting station at Norwood Primary School in Launceston, accompanied by Jenny, Liberal candidate Bridget Archer and Tasmanian Premier Will Hodgman.
The group sang Happy Birthday to Ms Archer, who turned 44 on election day.
The prime minister then said it was "democracy sausage time". Unfortunately, only bacon and egg rolls were available at 9am.
The prime minister then made a 100km trip to Devonport in the Labor-held electorate of Braddon, cuddling eight-week-old baby Elvie for good luck.
The Morrison team has visited Tasmania twice in the final week, pointing to tightening internal polls that suggest they could snatch the electorates and offset expected losses in Victoria.
He speculated the last time there was a prime minister in Tasmania on polling day was when Tasmanian-born Joseph Lyons was in office during the 1930s.
Australian Associated Press
