The first ever Senate recount since the advent of preferential Senate voting has begun in Perth. The Australian Electoral Commission is recounting WA’s 1.25 million above-the-line votes, after the Greens and the Australian Sports Party were successful in their bid to have the nailbiting result reviewed. Greens Senator Scott Ludlam and the Sports Party’s Wayne Dropulich lost the election to the Palmer United Party’s Zhenya ‘Dio’ Wang and Labor’s Louise Pratt, who took the fifth and sixth available Senate spots. But the result hinged on a crucial 14-vote margin at one stage of the count, when the Shooters and Fishers Party edged out the Australian Christians, meaning preferences ultimately flowed to the PUP and Labor.
WA Australian Electoral Official Peter Kramer said the recount would take three to four weeks, and at full strength would involve 30 tables, each with four counting officials.
Twelve tables were initially in action, but more AEC staff would become available next week after the October 19 deadline for the current WA local government elections, he said.
Mr Kramer said he expected more scrutineers to be present than during the original count, because the result was so close. “I guess people are a little more focused,” he said.
Full Article: WA Senate recount gets under way.