Sydney, Australia (CNN) -- The first polls closed Saturday in Australia's tightly contested federal election to decide the next leader of the country.
Polls closed at 6 p.m. (4 a.m. ET) in the east, but voting was still taking place in western Australia.
Voting is mandatory for adults in Australia, and more than 14 million were expected to cast ballots. A spokesman for Australia's Electoral Commission said results would be posted online as they come in, but he could not say when final results would be released.
Labor Party incumbent Prime Minister Julia Gillard and opposition challenger Tony Abbott were neck and neck ahead of the voting, which Gillard -- Australia's first female prime minister -- had described a "cliff-hanger".
Economic issues figured prominently in the campaign. Both candidates tried to convince a skeptical public that they could get the country back in the black within three years.
Australia's economy has been relatively healthy, with the country avoiding the painful recession other developed countries have been fighting to free themselves.
Abbott leads the Liberal Party, which is nevertheless conservative and forms a center-right coalition with The Nationals. A fourth party, The Greens, is much smaller and has strong environmental ethos.
Gillard was born in Wales in 1961 and moved to Australia with her family in 1966. After graduating with an arts and law degree in Melbourne, she worked as a lawyer before being elected to Parliament in the seat of Lalor, Victoria in 1998. She became deputy prime minister and minister for education, employment and workplace relations when Labor was voted into power in November 2007. CNN
