Mr Deepak Raj Gupta is set to replace Ms Meegan Fitzharris in the ACT Legislative Assembly, the ACT Electoral Commissioner, Mr Damian Cantwell AM announced today.

The names of the candidates who applied to contest the vacancy are as follows:

• David Pollard (ungrouped)
• Deepak Raj Gupta (ACT Labor)
• Justin States (Canberra Liberals)
• Paul Gabriel (Sustainable Australia)
• Tim Bohm (Like Canberra (deregistered))
• Veronica Wensing (The Greens)

The result of the countback, to fill the vacancy resulting from the resignation of Ms Fitzharris from the ACT Legislative Assembly, is available from the Elections ACT website.

The ACT Labor candidate for Yerrabi, Mr Gupta received a majority of preferences after Ms Fitzharris’ 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 two days to complete.

It is expected that Mr Gupta will be officially declared elected to the ACT Legislative Assembly on Tuesday 23 July 2019 at 3:00 pm by the ACT Electoral Commissioner, Mr Damian Cantwell AM.

Media representatives and members of the public are welcome to attend the declaration of the poll. The declaration will be held at the ACT Legislative Assembly, Civic Square, 196 London Circuit, Canberra City.