Antony Green set the gold standard for election analysis. I know how hard he's worked

This evening Antony Green, as he has scores of times before, will step up to his touchscreen after polls close.

I'll take my seat just off camera a few metres behind him.

He'll guide all of us through the flood of results to tell us who the nation wants to be in the next parliament.

It seems effortless. But I know how hard he's worked to be ready for May 3.

It will also be an emotional day. Because this is the last time he'll do it.

If past experience is any guide, by about 6:30pm Antony will be telling us not to worry too much about the small rural booths; he'll finish his first bowl of lollies by about 9pm; he'll ask for coffee at about 10pm.

It's good to have at least some routine on what is otherwise the most fast-paced and occasionally chaotic night every three years at the ABC.

Antony has covered every single state and federal election that I have been alive for (although I don't like to remind Antony of this lest I make him feel old) — it's an immense contribution.

World-class psephology

Most broadcasters around the world, including in the United States, have presenters reporting and commentating on election results on air, and a separate team of people behind the scenes analysing the figures and projecting the winner. In the UK, the BBC has a team of psephologists crunching numbers behind the scenes.

Here at the ABC, Antony does it all.

How he manages to flip effortlessly between forecasting outcomes and giving sharp electoral analysis on them continues to stagger me.

He has never, not once, confused Yeppen and Yeppoon or Albany and Albany.

He has set the gold standard for psephology in Australia, but he's as good as any you'd find around the world.

There's a team of us supporting him off-camera, but it can't be overstated how important Antony is to the process, and how important he is to our democracy.

We know that lots of people don't believe an election result until Antony says it on the ABC. He takes the responsibility extremely seriously. Where some may rush to be first, he makes sure he's right.

The Antony you don't get to see

You're used to seeing Antony whip around the touchscreen on live television. Rattling off facts about the voting history of Circular Head like an encyclopedia. Delivering politicians of all stripes the outcome of their performance review.

But there's a lot you don't see.

His mental agility, being able to track all the information being thrown at him while presenting live television.

The extraordinary amount of work ahead of time to set up and prepare the ABC's election computer.

The meticulous research that goes into the comprehensive election guides he's been producing for decades that rival any produced anywhere in the world.

The care he takes and the way he agonises over big calls.

My first rodeo

The first time I worked with Antony Green was the Queensland state election in 2017 — it was his 11th Queensland election, my first.

I was brought on as his producer for the coverage, a job I've done at nearly every election since.

That first rodeo taught me that you always have to be adaptable on election night.

During rehearsals the all-important touchscreen went … kaput. Broken. Unfixable.

Our production manager drove all over Brisbane looking for a replacement, to no avail.

In the end, Antony spent the entire night operating the touchscreen with a mouse.

I'm going to miss working with and for him. From the nervous bundle of energy before first commission figures start to come in, to the relief at the end of the evening, election nights are a career highlight.

I'm so grateful I've been able to do it alongside the maestro.

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