BOTH Labour and Conservative opponents believe that the Ellesmere Port and Neston seat will be a close fought contest.
A 66% turnout was registered 5% up on the 2005 election and all 49 ballot boxes arrived in Ellesmere Port before midnight with the election result expected before 2pm.
Supporters of both parties are looking confident and believe that it will be the closest fought contest since Labour candidate Andrew Miller captured the seat from the Tories in 1992.
Conservative Mayor of Ellesmere Port Cllr Gareth Anderson believes that Tory Candidate Stuart Penketh is in a strong position to recapture the seat if not reduce Mr Miller's 6,607 majority which he won in the last election in 2005.
He said: "Ellesmere Port and Neston is the most winnable it has been since 1992. We are doing better in the areas where we thought we would do well. In some areas we have done fantastically well. People have responded well to our positive campaign.
CWAC Conservative Cllr Graham Smith predicted a significant reduction in Labour support in Ellesmere Port and Neston.
Stuart Penketh has already indicated that it would only need 3,300 people to change their minds about Labour for him to win the seat for The Conservatives.
However Labour remain quietly confident that the result is going their way and that Mr Miller will serve another term.
Andrew Miller's election agent Sue Pugh said: "At the moment I am happy with the way things are going."
Former leader of the Ellesmere Port and Neston Council Justin Madders which was reorganised to unitary authority Cheshire West and Chester Council believes the seat will remain a Labour hold with a reduced majority of 2,000.
However the Nick Clegg factor which has balstered Lib Dem candidate Denise Aspinall's campaign coupled with an expected increase for UKIP candidate Henry Crocker may play a part in this most crucial of battlegrounds.
