Nicolette Boele (left) and Gisele Kapterian were separated by just eight votes at the end of counting in the seat of Bradfield. Photos: Facebook.
Two federal seats yet to be formally called from the 3 May election will have vote recounts after the difference between candidates fell to as low as single figures.
The Sydney seat of Bradfield on the city’s Lower North Shore is described as one of the most affluent seats in Australia. It was previously held by the Liberal Party’s Paul Fletcher, who announced his retirement before the election, and has always been held by the Liberals since the seat was created in 1949.
First-preference votes have clearly favoured the new Liberal candidate Gisele Kapterian, who won 38.1 per cent of the vote, an 11.1 percent lead over independent Nicolette Boele, and nearly 18 per cent over Labor candidate Louise McCallum.
But after the distribution of preferences, in a seat with more than 112,000 votes cast, Ms Kapterian currently holds a lead of fewer than 10 votes over Ms Boele.
Because of the narrow margin, the Divisional Returning Officer for Bradfield has exercised the powers available under Section 279 of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 to conduct a recount for Bradfield.
“The recount will proceed in accordance with the AEC’s longstanding policy to conduct a recount for any House of Representatives contests where the final margin is under 100 votes,” the AEC announced in a statement.
“At the conclusion of the full distribution of preferences for Bradfield, Liberal Party candidate Gisele Kapterian led Independent candidate Nicolette Boele by a margin of eight votes.”
The AEC said the recount would include a new count of all first-preference votes previously counted, a re-examination of all informal votes, a complete recount of the two-candidate preferred (TCP) count previously undertaken, and conduct the full distribution of preferences again.
“The recount will commence on Monday 26 May at the counting centre in Asquith,” it said, adding that the count was expected to take up to two weeks depending on the nature of scrutineering during the process. The AEC has until 9 July to return the writs.
Incumbent independent Zoe Daniel’s request for a full recount in Goldstein has been rejected by the AEC, and Tim Wilson’s lead of 260 votes is likely to hold after a recount of preferences and reassessment of informal votes. Photos: Facebook & Liberal Party.
The seat of Goldstein in Melbourne’s inner south-eastern bayside suburbs is also too close to categorically call, despite incumbent independent Zoe Daniel initially declaring victory on election night, before Liberal candidate and former member Tim Wilson, reportedly an aspiring Liberal leader, made a comeback to take the lead and also declare victory as postal votes were counted.
Mr Wilson currently has 43.5 per cent of the primary vote, Ms Daniel has 30.7 per cent, and Labor candidate Nildhara Gadani just 13.6 per cent. But after the distribution of preferences, the gap between Mr Wilson and Ms Daniel is significantly smaller.
Mr Wilson is currently holding a lead of 260 votes over Ms Daniel, but the AEC said a partial recount would begin in Goldstein on 28 May following advice from the national election manager to the Electoral Commissioner.
“In order to ensure the greatest level of confidence in the final result and the utmost integrity in the counting process, there should be a re-examination of all first-preference ballot papers for Tim Wilson and Zoe Daniel, as well as all informal votes,” it said.
Ms Daniel has requested a full recount, but the AEC said the request was instructive but not determinative, and her request was not granted.
“The distribution of preferences highlighted some discrepancies in the fresh scrutiny count for Goldstein,” it said.
“It is not uncommon to identify discrepancies in the complex and detailed distribution of preferences process, indeed this is one of the benefits of the distribution of preferences count (the fourth count). However, the nature of the discrepancies in this case pointed to instances where fresh scrutiny results had been entered into the system incorrectly.
“While the distribution of preferences process enabled these to be rectified for first-preference ballot papers for excluded (non-TCP) candidates, hence the change of margins on a few occasions, it has highlighted a need to re-examine ballot papers not dealt with at distribution of preferences.
“Therefore, the recount being undertaken will be limited to an examination of all first-preference ballot papers for Tim Wilson and for Zoe Daniel, as well as all informal ballot papers.”
Overall, the ABC’s two-party-preferred estimate sees federal Labor holding 94 seats, the Coalition 43, the Greens one, and independents 11.
