Casual vacancy count-back result: Meegan Fitzharris to be elected to the ACT Legislative Assembly

Published 15 Jan 2015

Meegan Fitzharris is set to replace Ms Katy Gallagher in the ACT Legislative Assembly, the ACT Electoral Commissioner Phillip Green announced today.

The names of the candidates who applied to contest the vacancy and the result of the count-back to fill the vacancy resulting from the resignation of Ms Katy Gallagher from the ACT Legislative Assembly can be viewed at www.elections.act.gov.au

Australian Labor Party (ACT Branch) candidate for Molonglo Meegan Fitzharris received a majority of preferences after Ms Gallagher’s votes were distributed by computer count this afternoon.

The scrutiny tables set out the result of the count, showing at Table I the result of the distribution of the ballot papers, and showing at Table II the result in terms of the number of votes those ballots papers represent.

The computer count, which started shortly after 12.30 pm today, was completed in a few minutes. By contrast, the last time a manual count was undertaken to fill a casual vacancy in the Assembly – the 2001 recount following the resignation of Mrs Kate Carnell – the count took 2 days to complete.

It is expected that Ms Fitzharris will be officially declared elected to the ACT Legislative Assembly on Friday 16 January 2015 at 3.00 pm by the Electoral Commissioner, Phillip Green.

Media representatives and members of the public are welcome to attend the declaration of the poll. The declaration will be held at the Legislative Assembly Reception Room, London Circuit, Civic Square, Canberra City.