The final election result in the seat of Gilmore could be known by the middle of next week.
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While the Labor party's Fiona Phillips has claimed the seat, the Australian Electoral Commission is still counting the votes.
"I note that a number of independent electoral analysts have predicted the Gilmore result with reasonably certainty in their tone," an AEC spokesman said.
"We of course need to follow the required legal processes to ensure beyond doubt what a result will be. It is a big, manual task and 'right, not rushed' is our key principle, a principle that upholds the strength of Australian elections."
Gilmore is one of as many as 75 seats that will require a full distribution of preferences so the AEC will have the mathematical certainty required for its final legal declaration of a result.
"This differs to what has been done so far - first preference and two-candidate preferred counts undertaken in batches," the spokesman said.
He said the timing for a legal declaration of the result for Gilmore was dependent on several things, including how the full distribution of preferences went.
He said a result could be known as "early as early-mid next week" but noted the AEC has until June 28 to return a result.
Glen Humphries
I'm an award-winning senior journalist with the Illawarra Mercury and have well over two decades' worth of experience in newspapers. I cover the three local councils in the Illawarra for the Mercury, state and federal politics, as well as writing for the TV guide. If I'm not writing, I'm reading.
I'm an award-winning senior journalist with the Illawarra Mercury and have well over two decades' worth of experience in newspapers. I cover the three local councils in the Illawarra for the Mercury, state and federal politics, as well as writing for the TV guide. If I'm not writing, I'm reading.
