Two seats still undecided three weeks after election

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Two seats still undecided three weeks after election

The final make-up of Australia’s next federal parliament will soon be known, as counting nears its conclusion in two tight election races.

Independent candidate Nicolette Boele is ahead of Liberal Gisele Kapterian by just three votes in the Sydney seat of Bradfield.

Ms Boele was provisionally declared the winner in the electorate by 39 votes on Monday, but the gap has narrowed even further after a final distribution of preferences.

An *********** Electoral Commission spokesman said the distribution would be completed by Friday.

If there are still fewer than 100 votes separating the candidates, a formal recount will be conducted in the seat.

Ms Kapterian was originally declared the winner in Bradfield by some media outlets, and was in the Liberal party room during the leadership contest that led to Sussan Ley be named opposition leader.

However, a strong spread of postal and absentee votes to the teal independent caused her to take a narrow lead in the Liberal stronghold.

Labor is on track to pick up an extra seat to add to its increased majority as counting continues in the Melbourne-based seat of Calwell.

The electoral commission said the count was the most complex in its history, due to the number of candidates contesting and primary votes being close between them.

As the full preference distribution is carried out, it has come down to a four-way contest between Labor, the Liberals, the Greens and an independent.

The final two candidates are expected to be Labor’s Basem Abdo and independent Carly Moore.

Labor is expected to win the seat if it receives slightly more than one-third of the votes against the independent.

An electoral commission spokesman said counting would resume on Monday.

A win in Calwell will place the government on 94 seats in the 150-seat House of Representatives.

The Liberals have 28 seats in the lower house and the Nationals have 15.

The Greens have been reduced to one seat, with 11 shared between independents and other minor parties.

Parliament is set to return on July 22.

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