Pre-poll voting
(Image: AAP/Bianca De Marchi)

In the wake of its most unambiguous failure at a federal election since at least 1980, Australia's polling industry is licking its wounds.

The Nine/Fairfax papers announced last week that the Ipsos poll series will be put on ice. Those pollsters who do return to the field shortly will face catcalls -- whether they persist in recording a Labor lead we now know doesn't exist, or only now start detecting a Coalition lead that eluded them through the entirety of the past parliamentary term.