Tasmanian Premier*s uncle Peter Hodgman fights for state Upper House seat (ABC)

The Tasmanian Premier's uncle is fighting it out with Huon Valley mayor Robert Armstrong to take out the Upper House seat of Huon.

Voters in the southern seat and in the West Tamar division of Rosevears went to the polls on Saturday.

In Rosevears, popular incumbent independent MP Kerry Finch has been comfortably returned, garnering just over 60 per cent of first preference votes.

Mr Finch's Liberal challenger Don Morris conceded defeat about 8:00pm on Saturday.

In Huon, Liberal candidate Peter Hodgman, whose nephew is Premier Will Hodgman, polled worse than expected.

Mr Hodgman has won a handful of booths including Blackmans Bay and Margate, but has struggled in the Huon Valley and the Channel.

Mr Armstrong could benefit from preference distributions to claim the seat, while former Greens Party member Liz Smith has also polled strongly.

Huon counting continues

Electoral Commissioner Julian Type says it could be several days before a final result in Huon is known.

"At this stage Peter Hodgman has a small but significant lead, with 26 per cent of the primary vote, and he's followed by Robert Armstrong with 20 per cent, Liz Smith with 19 per cent, and Jimmy Bell with 15.5 per cent," Mr Type said.

"The distribution of preferences is going to be crucial to decide the outcome in the division of Huon."

Independent Huon candidate and current mayor Mr Armstrong says the strong vote for the six independents in the seat sends the political parties a message.

"I believe the Legislative Council shouldn't be a rubber stamp for the government, whether it's Labor or Liberal," he said.

"Parties are always going to put their candidates up and try to get control of that house, but 75 per cent of people voted for independents, and that's a pretty strong message."

Mr Hodgman concedes Huon has traditionally been held by Independent members - including himself from 1974 to 1986 - but says time are changing.

"We've now got Vanessa Goodwin and Leonie Hiscutt and hopefully myself - along with a couple of other Legislative Councillors who have an affinity with the Liberal Party - that's a nice little Liberal Party vote bloc," he said.

"I think times are changing a bit now in regard to the fact that the council has operated very well with about a third party members - Liberal, Labor - and about two-thirds independent, and I think that's a good mix."

Voting fatigue setting in 

In Rosevears, the unsuccessful Liberal candidate, Mr Morris, is calling for a review of spending cap laws.

He says campaigning against an incumbent in an Upper House election is tough.

"A $14,500 cap which goes up by $500 a year is pretty prohibitive," he said.

He is also pointing to voter fatigue and confusion to explain his party's performance in the division.

"The fact the the word 'council' is in the word 'Legislative Council' makes people think in this state that voting's not compulsory," he said.

"I think we had the federal election, the state election, and then a few weeks later they had to vote in this election. I think there was some election fatigue."

Returned independent MP Mr Finch agrees some voters were confused.

"There is a lot of confusion, and it's part of our job to just keep educating people about the parliamentary system," he said.

"On reflection, something should be done in the education system to teach our young people more about how Parliament works."

Mr Finch says his success in Rosevears demonstrates that Tasmanians value independent members to represent them in the Upper House.

There are Legislative Council elections every year in Tasmania, with voters in the Upper House seats of Derwent, Mersey and Windemere next in line to vote in 2015.

Independents have traditionally out-polled party candidates in Legislative Council elections.

The Legislative Council has never been controlled by a single political party.

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