RICHMOND candidates cast their votes this morning at what's considered to be the region's busiest polling booth, Centaur Primary School at Banora Point.

Labor's Justine Elliot, Greens' Dawn Walker and Nationals Matthew Fraser took to the polls early, flanked by volunteers in bright party shirts and armed with their respective How To Vote cards.

Almost 30% of the electorate has already voted in pre-polling so it comes as no surprise that queues to vote were described by some as shorter compared to 2013, when the three candidates last faced-off.

"It's been amazingly quiet, a lot of people have done the pre-poll," Mrs Walker said.

"I'm getting a much stronger sense they're supporting us, sometimes they're only taking our card."

Looking slightly nervous, on the back of polls and experts showing Labor and Greens in the lead, was Mr Fraser who said he'd been at the poll since 7.45am.

"I'm a realist, it could certainly come down to a handful of votes but we're in contention," he said before casting his vote with his daughter Mackenzie.

Mrs Elliot, Richmond's incumbent of 12 years, admitted she was running on adrenaline but remained on-message.

"There's really been positive responses to Labor's position on saving Medicare when, with the Malcolm Turnbull Government, we're seeing a freeze on pathology, x-rays and pap smears," she said.

As for the voters, many declined to make comment or have their photos snapped, apparently exhausted by the eight week campaign.

It took 12 requests to nail down interviews with Ken Hall and Shirley Foster - both rusted on, life-time Labor voters from Banora Point.

"I'm going to vote Labor because I've voted Labor since I was a little boy, it's just hereditary," Mr Hall said.

Mrs Foster agreed.

"Labor are the only party for the people and the workers," she said.

Centaur Primary School Parent and Committee Association president Lisa Olsen said the group had sold a mammoth 300 sausages, six dozen eggs, and 8kg of bacon by 11am.

"This will get us closer to our goal of $50,000 for 20 interactive white boards for the school," she said.

"I think they're all choosing to vote sausage," added her volunteer helper Chris Hannah.

Animal Justice Party candidate Angela Pollard, who cast her vote early at pre-polling, spent most of her morning at Bogangar, one of the larger Tweed Coast booths.

"We've just had the bulk of voters go through," Ms Pollard said around 1pm.

"We've been able to cover about 18 booths which is not bad for a small party. The feedback I am getting from volunteers is that people are receptive and we are doing okay."

The Christian Democratic Party's Russell Kilarney, who voted at his home village of Chillingham early this morning before travelling to Murwillumbah, Kingscliff and beyond, said he was tired but upbeat.

"I've been talking to a lot of people at the polling booths and they are positive," he said.

"So many don't know who to vote for and don't want to vote for the major parties, so it is going well."

The remaining candidate, One Nation's Neil Smith, could not be reached for comment.