Formal Result in Farrer By-Election Delayed Until Late May

The Australian Electoral Commission says the formal declaration of the Farrer by-election result is unlikely to occur until late May, with early counting indicating One Nation candidate David Farley has secured the seat.

Electoral Commissioner Jeff Pope says the delay is due to legislative requirements under the Electoral Act, including the deadline for postal votes to be received and counted.

The Commission says a large number of postal votes, combined with the spread of first preference votes across candidates, means a full distribution of preferences will be required before the result can be officially declared.

Mr Pope says all admitted postal votes must be received by the twenty-second of May before the final count process can be completed.

The AEC says the situation is not unusual, noting more than half of electorates at last year’s federal election also required full preference distributions before official declarations could be made.

The successful candidate is expected to take their seat once the process is finalised, with the Commission maintaining all counting procedures remain open to scrutineers throughout the process.

If confirmed, it would be the first time One Nation has won a federal House of Representatives seat through an election result.