Anyone who has ever endured a recount on election night will sympathise with the candidates in the Australian electorate of McEwen in Victoria.
Yesterday they completed the first count - two and a half weeks after polling day.
It showed Labor gaining the seat by just six votes - from a total of over 100,000.
They've therefore started recounting and the latest coverage seems to show the Liberals back ahead.
In the meantime the sitting Liberal MP was allowed to vote in the Liberal leadership election - which was decided by a one vote margin.
It's not that it takes so long to count. The Aussies have a rule that they have to allow 13 days after the poll for all the postal votes to trickle in; only then can a result be declared.
ReplyDeleteWorth mentioning that Howard lost his seat.
ReplyDeleteDave Cole said...
ReplyDelete"Worth mentioning that Howard lost his seat."
Did he? Good!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7140384.stm
ReplyDelete13 days to get the postal votes in!? but why? in other countries you have to get your postal vote in by the close of polls on polling day - why can't australia do the same?
ReplyDeletethey have compulsory voting, including for expats. Therefore they have a margin for error of 13 days.
ReplyDelete