Independent candidate Ben Smith has conceded in the federal seat of Flinders, leaving Liberal Zoe McKenzie the winner in the protracted count. The outcome has stretched nearly two weeks beyond election day with a “complex count scenario” triggered due to the inability to separate second and third polling Smith and Labor’s Sarah Race. The three-candidate-preferred count was only finalised on Monday, with the AEC reverting to a two-candidate-preferred count with Smith and McKenzie. With nearly all votes now counted, Smith still trailed by 5515 votes this morning making the outcome an obvious McKenzie win with the seat to be retained…
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THE Australian Electoral Commission has declared the results of its three-candidate-preferred (3CP) count in Flinders, with Liberal Zoe McKenzie and independent Ben Smith the final two candidates. Eliminated during the 3CP count was Labor’s Sarah Race. The AEC will now revert to a traditional two-candidate-preferred (TCP) count to determine the final winner out of McKenzie and Smith. The News understands a final result is expected by the end of the week. The most recent data on the 3CP count, published this afternoon, stated that 56 poling places and declaration vote counts had completed a 3CP count with the following results.…
The critical three-candidate-preferred (3CP) count is over half way through, as we edge closer to determining who will represent the electorate of Flinders in the next term of government. Over 110,000 votes were counted in the electorate of Flinders first preference vote count. The Australian Electoral Commission’s traditional two-candidate-preferred (2CP) count had to be abandoned in favour of a 3CP count due to the close proximity between Labor’s Sarah Race and independent Ben Smith. While Liberal Zoe McKenzie polled the highest, essentially there wasn’t a clear second ranking candidate resulting in AEC adopting a “complex count scenario” 3CP count. As…
PLEASE NOTE: There is an updated version of this article with new information here: The Australian Electoral Commission has confirmed that the electorate of Flinders is being worked through as a “complex count scenario” involving a three-candidate-preferred (3CP) count as opposed to a traditional two-candidate-preferred (2CP) count. The process is slow, and it could take more than a week to determine the eventual winner in Flinders. Current results in the 3CP count are: Zoe McKenzie (Liberal): 9695 votes (47.7% of 3CP) Sarah Race (Labor): 5318 (26.16% of 3CP) Ben Smith (Independent): 5313 votes (26.14% of 3CP) These early result have…
THE Trumpet of Patriots candidate for the electorate of Flinders, Jason Smart, has announced he is “withdrawing his candidacy” for the upcoming federal election after being “blind sided by Clive Palmer’s decision” to preference Climate 200 backed candidate Ben Smith. The announcement came on Monday (21 April) after he was unable to resolve the preferencing issue with Trumpet of Patriots head office. The preferences “crisis” came after One Nation’s Mike Brown and Smart had originally announced on 16 April they would stand as a “unified alliance”. Accordingly, Smart stated his intention to place Brown second on the Trumpet of Patriots…
BEN Smith has been named as the “Independent 4 Flinders” candidate for the upcoming federal election. Smith, of Cape Schanck, is a small business owner, and has been the CEO of the Mornington Community Support Centre since 2022. He was also awarded the 2024 Victorian Father of the Year award in August, being honoured for his “community advocacy and deep love for his family”. “The Peninsula community has been taken for granted by the major parties for far too long,” said Smith. “It is time to send an independent to Canberra to fight for the services and infrastructure we need.”…