An independent review is needed into the Electoral Commission of South Australia’s (ECSA) handling of the Legislative Council vote count, following news that ECSA conducted a full recount of the vote yesterday.
Following a complaint lodged by the Liberal Party, the Electoral Commission has admitted it made four errors in the original Legislative Council vote count, with one error involving 1,100 votes.
The ECSA also claims the recount elected the same 11 MLCs, but “with some minor changes in the order of those candidates excluded”.
“The Electoral Commission also evidently conducted a recount without advising any or all of the candidates, thus preventing scrutiny of their processes,” said Liberal Member of the Legislative Council Rob Lucas.
“There is clearly a need for an independent review of the Electoral Commission’s handling of this debacle.”
The ECSA handling of this debacle has been an extraordinary embarrassment and completely unacceptable.
“Given this error, South Australians need to be assured that an error similar to that in the Legislative Council vote count wasn’t also made in the House of Assembly vote count,” said Mr Lucas.
In the House of Assembly ballot, approximately 700 votes separated the Liberal and Labor Parties in Colton, 750 votes in Elder and 600 votes in Newland.
The State Liberal Party won 53 per cent of the two party preferred statewide vote.
“An independent review is needed into ECSA’s handling of this debacle, so South Australians can be reassured that the electoral process remains transparent, fair and democratic,” said Mr Lucas.