AEC confirms partial recount in Goldstein after teal’s request

The Australian Election Commission (AEC) will carry out a partial recount in the Melbourne seat of Goldstein after a request from independent Zoe Daniel.

The AEC over the weekend declared Liberal moderate Tim Wilson the winner by 260 votes.

But Ms Daniel, who unseated Mr Wilson in 2022, said a recount was needed because of the “very tight margin and several errors”.

The AEC on Monday confirmed it would comply.

“The direction to conduct a partial recount has been made on the basis of advice from the national election manager to the electoral commissioner that in order to ensure the greatest level of confidence in the final result and the utmost integrity in the counting process, there should be a re-examination of all first preference ballot papers for Tim Wilson and Zoe Daniel as well as all informal votes,” the AEC said in a statement.

“The recount request submitted by independent candidate Zoe Daniel was carefully considered and was instructive but not determinative, and her request for a full recount has not been granted.”

The AEC said the recount would start on Wednesday.

AEC spokesman Evan Ekin-Smyth later told the ABC the electoral body was going “one step further to ensure there is confidence for us and the candidates and voters”.

“Whenever you have a close contest people are passionate but the AEC process is looking at first preferences, the two preferred count, doing both again with our mandatory second count and then doing a full distribution of preferences and our partial recount,” he said.

“All that occurs manually in an AEC counting centre in front of scrutineers looking over the shoulders of counting staff. People can have confidence in what is going on.”

Ms Daniel welcomed the recount, thanking her “scrutineers and AEC staff for their diligence and dedication to the democratic process”.

“I will be making no further comment until the process is complete,” she said in a statement.

Mr Wilson, who has urged Ms Daniel to accept the result, said he was “very relaxed about every count and recount to date in Goldstein” but accused the Teal of working with consultants “that have also been consulting to Labor and who have been providing cover to push for this recount”.

“I look forward to the conclusion of the partial recount and the declaration of the poll, and thank the AEC staff, all scrutineers and the people of Goldstein,” he posted on social media.