Counting in the last seat to be decided in the NSW election is set to stretch until two weeks after polls closed.
The count in the Sydney seat of Ryde has see-sawed between the Liberal and Labor candidates after it initially looked like Labor had snatched the seat from retiring minister Victor Dominello when polls closed on March 25.
As of around midday Thursday, there were fewer than 100 votes separating Liberal candidate Jordan Lane and Labor’s Lyndal Howison, with more than 50,000 votes counted.
Mr Lane was marginally ahead, after also coming out in front in the first preference count with 45.3 per cent compared to Labor’s 39 per cent.
Only postal and absentee ballots are left to count in the seat, which so far have favoured the Liberal party, 55 per cent to 45 per cent.
Thursday is the final day postal votes can be submitted for counting to the NSW Electoral Commission.
Under Mr Dominello, Ryde was considered a safe Liberal seat, but has undergone an 8.6 per cent swing to Labor putting them firmly in the running to claim it.
Regardless of the result, Labor has lost the chance to form a majority government, having won 45 seats so far, just shy of the 47 seat requirement.
It means Premier Chris Minns will likely be forced to engage with the crossbench, made up of nine independents and three Greens, in order to pass legislation.
The new Labor cabinet was officially sworn in this week, claiming it will get to work fixing schools and hospitals, as well as dealing with energy bill and cost of living pressures.
Excluding the premier, the 22-person cabinet is made up of 50 per cent women for the first time in NSW history.
“I’m proud of the team we have,” Premier Chris Minns said on Wednesday.
“We have a lot of hard work in front of us, and a big responsibility, but my team and I are up to the challenge.”
