Sunshine has greeted the Kiama electorate for Saturday's polling day with NSW Premier Chris Minns making yet another visit to the region in a last-ditch bid to get Katelin McInerney over the line.

Minns joined his Labor candidate at Mount Terry Public School in Albion Park as she cast her vote while the Liberal Party nominee, Serena Copley, visited the ballot box at Illaroo Public School in Nowra.

Speaking at a morning media conference, Minns praised the depth of the field for the Kiama by-election.

“It’s a strong field of 13 candidates for voters to choose from, and I think that’s a good sign of our democracy,” he said.

He singled out McInerney’s work ethic, describing her as a candidate who “doesn’t give up” and has “run a great campaign” over the past five weeks.

“I love when we run a positive campaign,” he said. “We’ve laid out our plan for the future (of the Kiama electorate).”

Katelin McInerney casts her vote with her son, William.

Housing affordability was the biggest concern raised with The Bugle by voters at pre-poll this week, and Minns acknowledged it was the defining issue for many younger people.

“I hear it myself all the time … the pressure on housing and the inability to get into the market, and pressure on rents,” he said.

“We’ve lost an astronomical amount of young people in the last 12 months, mainly going to Queensland. It’s a massive problem.”

Minns said that while the problem “won’t be fixed overnight, we’re working incredibly hard to increase supply” and cut red tape.

McInerney said she had spoken with “hundreds and hundreds” of voters during the campaign and pledged to be a strong advocate.

“People want someone who listens, understands and is ready to go to work for this region,” she said.

McInerney has been installed as an overwhelming favourite to get the nod ahead of Copley, Community Independent candidate Kate Dezarnaulds and Tonia Gray, representing The Greens.

There are nine other candidates in a loaded ballot paper: independents Lisa Cotton, Cyrille Jeufo Keuheu, Roger Woodward and Andrew Thaler, and minor party representatives Don Fuggle (Legalise Cannabis Party), Ken Davis (Sustainable Australia), Felix Nelson (Shooters, Fishers, Farmers), Joshua Beer (Libertarian Party) and Ellie Robertson (Animal Justice Party).

Copley was refusing to give in.

“This is about representing the community with a strong local voice who understands their needs,” Copley said.

Serena Copley votes.

“[I’m] a local who has lived here for many years, I literally live around the corner from where we’re standing today.”

Copley reiterated her foundational election promises of what the Liberal Party has done for this community and has the potential to do.

“I just bring it back to the community, Liberal values and the track record that the Liberals have in their seat [and that] is to deliver,” she said.

“We’ve delivered hospitals, we’ve delivered infrastructure and local people know that. They know that when the Liberal is in the seat, delivery happens.

“At the moment that’s not what we’re seeing under Labor. There’s a lot of talk and no action. We’re seeing promises that were rolled out in 2023 being rolled out again because they have not been delivered.”

When asked how she think’s she will go in today’s by-election, Copley was reserved, yet optimistic.

“I think we’ll know that tonight, soon after six o’clock. I think it’s been a great, positive campaign,” Copley said.

Dezarnaulds said she was running to make sure the values and needs of this community are represented.

"I’m running as an independent because like so many people I am sick of the culture of politics in this country," she said.

"As a sensible centre person I've never seen my socially progressive values and belief in the value of small business represented in the major parties."

Kate Dezarnaulds with her supporters.

Ballots close at 6pm. More than a quarter of the electorate voted before Saturday in the week of pre-polling.

The count will begin immediately after the polling stations close.

Postal vote scrutiny and counting cannot be completed until the last day that a postal vote may be received - by 6pm on Friday, 26 September.