Independent Nicolette Boele has won the Sydney seat of Bradfield, defeating Liberal Gisele Kapterian with a wafer-thin margin of just 26 votes.
The Australian Electoral Commission said Kapterian won on the initial distribution of preferences by just eight votes, before a recount was ordered. The final result, announced on Wednesday afternoon, showed Boele won following rulings on ballot paper formality.
Bradfield was the last outstanding seat from the 3 May election, but the result could still be challenged by the Liberals in the court of disputed returns.
“As evidenced in previous elections, it is very common in tight contests and recounts for further rulings to be made on ballot paper formality,” the AEC said in a statement.
“During a recount, each individual ballot paper is very closely scrutinised by AEC counting staff with challenges made from candidate-appointed scrutineers for both leading candidates.”
At the end of the recount, Boele had 50.01% of the total vote, ahead of Kapterian’s 49.99%.
The recount included 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 count and a full distribution of preferences.
The AEC said the process was conducted in front of candidate-appointed scrutineers to ensure transparency.
Boele was declared the provisional winner on 19 May, after she took a last-minute 40-vote lead over Kapterian. The seat has been held by the Liberal party since its creation in 1949.
after newsletter promotion
Kapterian was appointed as a shadow assistant minister in Sussan Ley’s Coalition frontbench last month pending the recount result. She is expected to be replaced by another Liberal.
Within 40 days of the election writ being returned, any candidate or elector from the seat can “petition” its result. That process involves a formal pleading to the court of disputed returns. For national elections, that usually means the high court.
Boele had the backing of Simon Holmes à Court’s Climate 200 group, and the Liberals pumped significant resources into holding the seat which was previously held by Paul Fletcher.
The seat takes in North Shore suburbs including St Leonards, Killara and Wahroonga and borders the electorates of Warringah and Mackellar, held by teal independents Zali Steggall and Sophie Scamps respectively.
Kapterian was preselected by the Liberals for the seat in January, beating businessman and voice to parliament opponent Warren Mundine.
More to come