Shorten confident in ALP leadership race Labor is waiting on thousands of voting papers from rank and file members for the leadership ballot. LABOR leadership contender Bill Shorten is confident he has the numbers to become opposition leader, despite strong public support for rival Anthony Albanese. Caucus meets in Canberra on Thursday and MPs will cast their vote for the new parliamentary leader. But the final result won't be known until Sunday, after a ballot of rank and file party members is taken into account and weighted 50/50 against the caucus outcome, under a new ALP process. "I believe that I've got strong support from my parliamentary colleagues, the people I work alongside every day," Mr Shorten told Sky News. I've done 46 membership forums talking to people all around Australia ... I believe I've got strong support among ALP members. However, a ReachTEL poll of 1800 people shows Mr Albanese is preferred Labor opposition leader at 58 per cent to 42 per cent for Mr Shorten, in his home state of NSW and Mr Shorten's home state of Victoria. Among Labor voters, each candidate leads in their respective states, the poll published in Fairfax Media showed. But in the 86-member caucus, Mr Shorten has the backing of the dominant Right faction, which outnumbers the Left 48-38. Mr Shorten said factional considerations would be "secondary" in the caucus ballot, due to be held at 4pm (AEDT). "They will pick the candidate who they believe in good conscience is in the best interests of Australia and the Labor party," he said. Fairfax Media suggests Left faction members Laurie Ferguson, Warren Snowdon and Maria Vamvakinou will vote with the Right, while sources say former prime minister Kevin Rudd is expected to cross factional lines to vote for his former deputy, Mr Albanese. No matter which man became leader on Sunday, the ALP would be the winner, Mr Albanese said as he arrived at Parliament House in Canberra. Party membership has grown by several hundred people since Labor introduced the grassroots ballot. "What happens when political parties lose government is quite often they descend into an orgy of self recrimination, almost become a circular firing squad," Mr Shorten said. Instead what we've had is a pretty civilised proposition, a debate of ideas. About 25,000 ballot papers have been received from rank and file members, of which 44,000 are eligible to vote. "That's a pretty good ... participation rate in a non-compulsory process," interim leader Chris Bowen told ABC radio. Ballot papers must be returned by 5pm on Friday ahead of the weekend tally. But there are still concerns some rural and regional members may not have their say because of delays in the mail out, and despite a two-day extension being allowed. "We've certainly made mistakes and we learn as we go, but overall I think it's been a pretty smooth process," Labor national president Jenny McAllister said. During the month-long leadership campaign Mr Albanese and Mr Shorten have travelled Australia to meet and speak to grassroots members. About $100,000 has spent on the process, although Mr Shorten's campaign has been partly bankrolled by the union movement.