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Victorian Premier John Brumby formally kicked off the state election campaign with a visit to Government House on 1 November 2010.
According to ABC TV, Mr Brumby delivered the official election writs to the Governor, Professor David de Kretser.
The Government will formally enter caretaker mode on 2 November.
The visit to the Governor was in many respects symbolic, because Victoria has set election terms and was already scheduled to go to the polls on 27 November.
Both main parties have revealed their campaign slogans.
Labor's is "for the times ahead'', while the Coalition has adopted the theme "fix the problems, build the future.''
The ABC says the polls suggest a narrow Labor victory, possibly with the support of the Greens, who are hoping to unseat up to four Labor MP's in the inner city.
The Coalition needs an extra 13 seats to govern in its own right.
…republic not in issue…
The big issues for voters appear to be crime, public transport, concerns about water policy and a desire for accountable government. One thing is clear. No party will be campigning about a republic.
In a survey recently commissioned by the State government, two thirds of Victorians are now opposed to a republic and three quarters want to keep the Australian Flag.
Since 1999 support for a republic has fallen by around thirty per cent. This is a serious blow to those campaigning for Australia to become a politicians’ republic.