By Shelby Brooks
Preference distributions were being conducted for the seat of Pakenham on Wednesday 7 December.
As of Wednesday 7 December at 12pm, Liberal Pakenham candidate David Farrelly was narrowly ahead of Labor’s Emma Vulin by 90 votes on a two-party preferred count.
But even after preferences are distributed, there may be a recount.
A recount – a re-examination of ballot papers for an electorate – may be ordered when the result is extremely close, but it can only happen before a result has been declared.
“The VEC head office will monitor the outcome of each election and work with election managers to determine if recounts should take place. If so, the Electoral Act 2002 requires the VEC to provide at least four hours’ notice to candidates and political parties relevant to any recount,” a VEC spokesperson said.
“Any recounts would not take place until after preference distributions occur and prior to formal declarations. It is too early to speculate if a recount would be triggered in any district at this stage.”
