At 10:00 (AEST), the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index was up 11.60 points or 0.19 percent at 6,078.00, while the broader All Ordinaries index was up 12.50 points or 0.20 percent at 6,275.30.
The Aussie market defied expectations of a robust start to trade, spurred by gains overseas, with most sectors posting modest losses and the country's mining sector weighing heavily.
Meanwhile a surge in tech led gains, followed by industrials and energy, offsetting losses across the banking, healthcare and consumer sectors.
Developments with the U.S. election were expected to play into market action later in the day, with results beginning to be seen throughout afternoon trading.
"Asia Pacific markets will have the first opportunity to react to early voting results," CMC Market chief market strategist Michael McCarthy said.
In the financial space, the big banks were mixed with Commonwealth Bank down (0.34 percent), Westpac Bank down (0.28 percent), National Australia Bank up (0.74 percent) and ANZ up (0.46 percent).
Mining stocks sank with BHP down (0.29 percent), Rio Tinto down (0.48 percent), Fortescue Metals down (2.29 percent) and goldminer Newcrest down (0.31 percent).
The country's oil and gas producers rallied with Oil Search up (1.65 percent), Santos up (0.81 percent) and Woodside Petroleum up (0.65 percent).
Australia's largest supermarkets were mixed with Coles unchanged (0 percent), and Woolworths down (0.39 percent).
Meanwhile telecommunications giant Telstra edged lower (0.18 percent), the national carrier Qantas lifted (0.78 percent) and biomedical firm CSL fell (0.40 percent).
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