Federal Election 2025: Goldstein partial recount is granted for Zoe Daniel after Bradfield do-over begins

A partial recount will begin this week for the Melbourne seat of Goldstein following a request from independent Zoe Daniel.

Over the weekend, the Australian Electoral Commission declared former Liberal MP Tim Wilson had defeated the teal after her first term in parliament by 260 votes.

Ms Daniel asked for a recount, citing a “very tight margin and several errors”.

The AEC agreed to re-examine first preference ballot papers for both Mr Wilson and Ms Daniel, as well as all informal votes, in a bid to uphold its commitment to electoral integrity.

“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 commission said in a statement.

The partial recount will begin on Wednesday, and is expected to take about four days.

The AEC acknowledged this would be at a cost, but could not provide an estimate.

In a statement shared to social media, Ms Daniel thanked 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.

Mr Wilson said he “look(ed) forward to the conclusion of the partial recount and the declaration of the poll”.

“We have been very relaxed about every count and recount to date in Goldstein, as we know the count will deliver the result that reflects the will of the people of Goldstein,” he said.

Meanwhile, the full recount for the Sydney seat of Bradfield began on Monday, after Liberal candidate Gisele Kapterian finished in front of teal challenged Nicolette Boele by just eight votes.

It’s expected to take about two weeks.

AEC spokesman Evan Ekin-Smyth said if the recount ultimately resulted in a tie, the AEC would send the count to the Court of Disputed Returns.

“But that is all early commentary. It is not a zero margin and we will see where it ends. You would think it is unlikely to be a tie, but stranger things have happened,” he said.

“We will complete the recount, and that is lengthy, see here the margin ends at the end of that and we will determine that and go from there.”

Elsewhere, the seat of Calwell was called for Labor on Monday, following what the AEC had described as “the most complex count in history”.

With Labor retaining the seat, the election marks the first time in more than 50 years that an incumbent Government didn’t lose a single seat.