The Nationals are working to head off a preference deal between minor parties which could eliminate the junior Coalition partner from the race to steal the Hunter electorate off Labor.
Independent candidate Stuart Bonds, who garnered a hefty 21.6 per cent of the primary vote in 2019 under the One Nation flag, said on Tuesday that the Nationals had been "begging me to put One Nation behind the Nats" on his how-to-vote cards.
A deal between Mr Bonds, One Nation, United Australia Party and the Informed Medical Options Party has an outside chance of delivering one of them enough votes to eliminate the Nationals' James Thomson during the allocation of preferences.
Such a scenario would require the four to attract enough support from Hunter voters disillusioned with the major parties.
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"There's an enormous push to put the major parties last so that by the time it gets to the Nats they are below us," Mr Bonds said.
He described the narrow path to victory as "purely theoretical" but noted the latest published national opinion polls showed many voters remained undecided.
"There's still a number of votes up for grabs," he said.
A Nationals campaign spokesperson said the party was examining "all these scenarios" and holding discussions with "everyone".
For one of their candidates to eliminate the Nationals, the minor parties would need to gather enough volunteers to man Hunter's 57 polling booths on election day.
It would also require the parties' supporters to follow the how-to-vote cards those volunteers hand out.
"Preferences only matter if you man the booths," the Nationals spokesperson said.
In 2019, 30 per cent of One Nation and UAP voters preferenced Labor above the Nationals in Hunter. One in four Greens voters put the Nationals above Labor.
The Nationals' primary vote was 23.5 per cent in 2019, compared with Mr Bonds' 21.6 per cent and Labor's 37.6 per cent.
The Nationals hope to increase their primary vote to about 30 per cent to keep the minor parties at bay and challenge Labor's Dan Repacholi.
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson addressed the media in East Branxton on Tuesday and will attend a public forum at the Horse and Jockey Hotel in Singleton on Wednesday evening.
A preference deal placing Mr Bonds above the Nationals may prove hard to stomach for Ms Hanson after Mr Bonds exited the party last year slamming One Nation's support for industrial relations reforms which could have a negative impact on casual mine workers.
A One Nation spokesperson said Ms Hanson would have the "final call" on preference deals in each seat.
Mr Thomson's campaign is preparing for a high-profile visitor on Friday, suggesting the party still believes it has a strong chance of overturning Labor's slim three-point margin.
Electors must put a preference number next to every candidate's name on the ballot paper for their vote to be valid.
