Tasmanian Liberal government likely to be returned in majority with 13 seats

The contest for the fourth and fifth seat will come down primary votes and preferences won by independents Sue Hickey and Kristie Johnston, and Liberal candidates Madeleine Ogilvie and Simon Behrakis.

As of Sunday night, it looked as if the Liberals would get two quotas in the electorate which would give them 13 seats in the lower house.

Mr Behrakis earlier on Sunday said he and Ms Ogilvie had both run strong campaigns which meant the party would get a second seat in Clark.

"Now we play the waiting game to find out that is," Mr Behrakis said.

"I'm confident that we'll get that second seat and ultimately the government would have a majority."

Mr Behrakis said he was prepared for an anxious wait over the next nine days before preferences were distributed.

He also said there was no tension between the pair who had been thrust into a contest due to Tasmania's unique Hare-Clark system.

"I maintain a strong relationship with Maddy and that will continue," Mr Behrakis said.

Mr Behrakis has been no stranger to election campaigns having run in the 2018 House of Assembly election and the following upper house election for the seat of Hobart.

As for the independents, Ms Johnston was leading Ms Hickey.

Ms Johnston had 6577 primary votes to Ms Hickey's 5829 votes.

Again, they will have to wait for more than a week until they see who wins the fifth seat at the end of the day.

In Franklin, the result stood as two seats to the Liberals, two seats to Labor, and one for Greens member Rosalie Woodruff.

At the close of the count on Sunday night, Labor candidate Dean Winter has surpassed sitting Labor member David O'Byrne 7439 votes to 6993.

The result in Lyons will be three Liberals and two Labor members.

The sitting Liberal members Guy Barnett, Mark Shelton and John Tucker are most likely to be returned, although Stephanie Cameron polled well early on Saturday night.

Labor leader Rebecca White has been re-elected and Jen Butler is likely to be re-elected if Labor candidate Janet Lambert cannot catch her once preferences are distributed.

Ms Butler had 2396 votes as of Sunday night and Ms Lambert had 1971 votes.

Premier Peter Gutwein's thumping pull of votes has ensured three Liberals will be elected in Bass - himself and government ministers Sarah Courtney and Michael Ferguson.

At the close of the count on Sunday night, Mr Gutwein had won 31,090 primary votes.

His popularity for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic in Tasmania seemed to have pulled votes from his colleagues.

Mr Ferguson polled 3628 primaries and Ms Courtney polled 2100.

As a comparison, the Greens' candidate Jack Davenport polled 2770 and the group vote will not allow the party to achieve a quota.

Labor is set to win the other two seats in the northern electorate with Michelle O'Byrne to reclaim her position in the House of Assembly and Janie Finlay to take her seat at the expense of Jennifer Houston.