Voters in key by-elections have been inundated with smiling politicians full of promises over the past nine weeks as the coalition tries to make history and Labor seeks to hold its ground.
No federal government has won a by-election off an opposition in 98 years, but the Liberals are a serious chance to win in Queensland's Longman and Tasmania's Braddon on Super Saturday this weekend.
The coalition's Longman campaign was rocked when candidate Trevor Ruthenberg - known as 'Big Trev' - was revealed to have falsely claimed to have a prestigious military medal.
Mr Ruthenberg apologised for what he said was an honest mistake where he wrote down the wrong name of the medal he got for his air force service.
However he noted he was not a military imposter and had served.
The revelations led to betting markets lengthening his odds, but the electorate still appears to be on a knife-edge.
Labor rolled out attacks on the government's record on health in Braddon and Longman, promising to put more money into local hospitals.
Bill Shorten promised $800,000 for a 'mini-hospital' TAFE training centre in Devonport.
But polling shows the Tasmanian seat is still too close to call.
Labor will win by-elections in Perth and Fremantle, where there are no Liberals running, while Rebekha Sharkie is likely to hold the South Australian seat of Mayo.
Ms Sharkie was a Nick Xenophon Team member, before the party changed its name to Centre Alliance, and she is set to beat Liberal blue-blood Georgina Downer.
Former prime minister John Howard campaigned for the daughter of his former foreign minister Alexander, noting the cavalcade of ministers sweeping through Mayo had been an "expression of confidence" in the candidate.
Mr Turnbull and Mr Shorten have regularly popped up in Longman and Braddon, while other high-profile political names, including former PM Tony Abbott. Even Labor turncoat Mark Latham turned up in Longman both in person and on a robo-call for One Nation.
Four of Saturday's by-elections were sparked when the High Court ruled Labor senator Katy Gallagher was ineligible to sit in parliament due to her dual citizenship.
Labor's Susan Lamb, Justine Keay and Josh Wilson, and Ms Sharkie, were all forced to resign.
Another Labor MP, Tim Hammond, resigned for family reasons.
The last time a government won a by-election from the opposition came after a Kalgoorlie Labor MP was kicked out of parliament for treason for speaking at an anti-British rally.
