Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Ben Raue

Inside the Bradfield recount: painstaking and polite, but sometimes heartbreaking

Political party scrutineers watch on as Australian Electoral Commission representatives recount ballots for Bradfield in Asquith
Political party scrutineers watch on as Australian Electoral Commission representatives recount ballots for the seat of Bradfield, where teal candidate Nicolette Boele and the Liberal, Gisele Kapterian, have a very narrow margin. Photograph: Dan Himbrechts/AAP

The Bradfield recount is being held in a warehouse in Asquith that appears to have been used for a number of northern Sydney electorates, but on my visit only Bradfield is being counted. A space is set aside as a break room for scrutineers, with large teams for the teal candidate, Nicolette Boele, and the Liberal, Gisele Kapterian, who finished just eight votes ahead after the first complete count.

Given there were more than 6,500 informal votes in Bradfield (5.51% of those cast), the potential for decisions over validity to settle the outcome are obvious.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.