The recent federal election has concluded in most areas of Australia, but several electoral contests remain undecided. As of Thursday afternoon, there are ten seats still too close to call, with thin margins indicating a suspenseful finish.
Among these competitive electorates, one in south-west Sydney features a mere 200 votes separating Liberal candidate Gisele Kapterian from teal independent Nicolette Boele, though over 87% of votes are counted. Meanwhile, incumbent Labor MP Lisa Chesters leads over Nationals candidate Andrew Lethlean in her bid to maintain a seat that has shifted from being a safe Labor stronghold to a fiercely contested battleground.
Other key races include Labor MP Basem Abdo, who is expected to hold his seat, and Zoe McKenzie of the Liberals, who is in a strong position against her Labour and independent challengers. Another independent, Monique Ryan, faces a daunting challenge from Liberal candidate Amelia Hamer, with Ryan slightly ahead as counting continues.
In the Menzies seat, Labor’s Gabriel Ng is currently 1,100 votes ahead of incumbent Keith Wolahan, with the Liberals requesting a recount. Complexity arises in Monash where four candidates have garnered significant primary votes, but no preference results are yet reported, complicating projections of the race’s outcome.
In the Longman district, Coalition MP Terry Young leads narrowly against Labor’s Rhiannyn Douglas but with a tight margin, while David Smith, the Labor incumbent in the Australian Capital Territory, finds himself closely trailing independent Jessie Price, separated by less than 200 votes.
Labor candidate Trish Cook is also holding a slender lead in another competitive area with only 80% of votes counted. The ongoing count may yet alter the landscape, keeping both candidates and voters on edge as results continue to unfold.
With many close contests still to be resolved, the focus now shifts to the completion of the vote count and the potential implications these races may have on the overall political landscape.