Top End voters are marking down the Labor government led by Michael Gunner, but early counting still favours the incumbent party in the Northern Territory election.
The poll is the first test of an Australian political leader's coronavirus management.
Nationals senator Matt Canavan said it appeared the Country Liberal Party could lift its numbers from a very low base of two to seven, with the possibility of nine seats in the 25-seat assembly.
"That would be a remarkable outcome," he told Sky News.
However, despite Labor facing a swing of about two per cent it could still retain a majority.
Mr Gunner has faced both criticism and praise for his tough stance on border closures, but says he has done it in the name of saving the territory's economy and protecting territorians' health.
The Labor leader has ruled out his party's involvement in a minority government, which pundits say is a possibility.
One of the highest profile casualties appears to be Territory Alliance leader Terry Mills, who could lose his seat of Blain to Labor.
After two hours of counting, it appeared Labor had won 11 seats, with the CLP on six, and independents and Territory Alliance winning one each, with six seats unclear.
Territorians may not see a result on Saturday night due to social distancing requirements at counting centres, with a majority of votes cast early.
Only about 20 per cent of voters were expected to have cast their ballots on election day itself.
"No deals. Stability and certainty, no deals," Mr Gunner told reporters when asked of his willingness to form a minority government.
Micheal gunner speaks in Darwin. Source: AAP
"Particularly during a public health emergency."
Labor has campaigned on its handling of the coronavirus pandemic, which saw the NT suffer just 33 cases, telling voters it's the party to see them through the crisis.
"We are asking them to choose between secure borders or open borders," Mr Gunner said.
Despite its success protecting Territorians from COVID-19, the Gunner government has been criticised for its handling of the economy - rated as the nation's worst performer by CommSec for the June quarter.
CLP leader Lia Finocchiaro has repeatedly pointed to the NT's skyrocketing debt during the campaign, saying 11,000 jobs had been lost on Labor's watch.
"We want the territory to be a can-do place that it used to be. This government has squandered that opportunity to make people's lives better," she said.
Ms Finocchiaro has promised to fast-track major projects and simplify mining taxes to "signal to the world the territory is open for business".
Mr Mills has also promised to reactivate the Top End's ailing economy but unlike the CLP and Labor, Territory Alliance won't support onshore gas-fracking projects, which have been touted as a potential saviour for the NT's financial woes.
Lia Finocchiaro, CLP Leader in Darwin. Source: AAP
Plans to frack in the Beetaloo Basin have caused concern among many voters, with fears it could jeopardise groundwater and Australia's efforts to meet the Paris emissions reduction target.
It has led to the NT Greens running nine candidates and activist group GetUp reportedly handing out how-to-vote cards in six seats, including two exceptionally marginal Labor electorates.
Mr Mills, a former CLP chief minister and architect of the year-old Alliance party, said hydraulic fracturing doesn't have a social licence to operate in the NT and if Territorians support it, they can "vote for the other two parties".
