The race to turn into the MP for the NSW seat of Bradfield is heading for a recount after the Liberal and teal candidates had been separated by solely eight votes within the preliminary depend.
Practically three weeks after the federal election, the seat remains to be undecided, with the lead flipping between Liberal Gisele Kapterian and impartial Nicolette Boele because the depend progressed.
Kapterian was initially declared the winner in Bradfield by some media shops, and was within the Liberal celebration room in the course of the management contest that led to Sussan Ley be named opposition chief.
Nonetheless, a powerful unfold of postal and absentee votes to the teal impartial brought on her to take a slender lead within the Liberal stronghold.
Boele had a lead of simply three votes early on Friday afternoon, however figures from the Australian Electoral Fee (AEC) put the two-candidate most well-liked vote at 56,190 to each in an replace simply after 4pm.
A later replace gave Kapterian a lead of simply eight votes — 56,191 to Boele’s 56,183.
“The recount will proceed in accordance with the AEC’s longstanding coverage to conduct a recount for any Home of Representatives contests the place the ultimate margin is underneath 100 votes,” the fee mentioned in a press release.
It mentioned the recount will contain a brand new depend of all first desire votes and a whole recount of the two-candidate most well-liked depend beforehand undertaken.
The recount will begin on 26 Could, the AEC mentioned, including that the method is predicted to take as much as two weeks.
The seat, which covers components of Chatswood, Cammeray and St Leonards within the higher North Shore, was held by Liberal Paul Fletcher earlier than the three Could ballot.
