THERE is still no indication about who has won the race in the Federal Seat of Monash.
At the last update, the Liberals’ Mary Aldred is leading the first preference count with 30,568 votes or 32.29% of the total number of votes counted.
She is followed Labor’s Tully Fletcher on 19,115 votes or 20.19% and independent Deb Leonard 16,423 votes or 17.35%.
However, the Australian Electoral Commission does not yet have a clear indication about which of those three should be included in a two-candidate preferred count to at least provide a provisional winner of the seat.
Ms Aldred will almost certainly be one of them, but according to AEC Senior Media Officer, Alex Morris, the AEC is still in the process of conducting a ‘three-candidate preferred’ count to identify which two candidates are likely to finish first and second in the poll.
“In Monash, the three-candidate preferred count will continue today. It’s difficult to estimate a completion time on this and other 3CP counts because the aim isn’t to count a certain number of ballot papers, but instead to reach certainty about the two candidates most likely to be the top two candidates in the count,” Mr Morris told the Sentinel-Times.
Independent candidate Deb Leonard said the uncertainty and waiting for a result has been torture.
“The AEC have said, because the preference flows are so unpredictable, there's no clear indication of who will be in the final two, to do the two-candidate preferred. So, they're counting through all booths at the moment, which they've never, ever done before in Monash,” said Ms Leonard.
“It's still going next week. It's torture, because we've got scrutineers in there, and they're sending me through the breakdown of booth by booth - and they'll send me through (the result), and I'm a few ahead, and then they'll send me another one, and I'm a few behind. It’s an emotional rollercoaster.”
“I think it's unlikely that I'll get up,” Ms Leonard added.
“The process has to continue until we reach that threshold of certainty, at which point we can move to running a standard two-candidate preferred count for the seat," explained Mr Morris.
“It is very likely that this process will continue well into next week. Our motto for the count is always ‘right, not rushed’.”
Mr Morris said those with an interest in the result can follow the progress on the AEC website, type ‘AEC Monash election results 2025’ into you search engine. Or click HERE
“When the two-candidate preferred count does kick off in Monash, the results will be published as quickly as we can complete the count for each polling place. If you have a look at some similar electorates in which we are completing 2CP counts (such as Bendigo) you can see the results updating progressively as we complete each polling place.”
Postal votes can still be received by the AEC until Friday, May 16 so an official result is not expected until then.
First preference voting in Monash
- ROBINSON, Kuljeet Kaur 7454 votes 7.87%
- FLETCHER, Tully 19,115 votes 20.19%
- BROADBENT, Russell 9764 votes, 10.31%
- ALDRED, Mary 30,568 votes, 32.29%
- LEONARD, Deb 16,423 votes, 17.35%
- DETHLEFS, Geoff 1640 votes, 1.73%
- O'REILLY, David 3128 votes, 3.30%
- STEELE, Terence 4251 votes, 4.49%
- WEHBE, Alex 2325 votes, 2.46%
- Formal 94,668 votes, 94.22%
- Informal 5810 votes, 5.78%
- Total votes 100,478.
- Eligible electors in Monash:116,527.
