The counting of votes in Bragg’s by-elections is officially underway as polling booths in the eastern suburbs of Adelaide close.
Key points:
- Vickie Chapman resigned after the Liberals’ state election defeat
- The Liberal Party occupies the seat with a margin of 8.2%.
- Labor and the Greens hope to see changes against the Liberals
It is the third time in four months that voters have been asked to go to the polls, and some express “electoral fatigue.”
Despite this, more than 20,000 people are expected to have voted today. This is the current state of the game:
Liberals are the favorites
Bragg’s by-elections were triggered by the departure of former South Australian Attorney General Vickie Chapman, who left politics on the same day that former Environment Minister David Speirs was elected new Liberal leader.
Bragg, which covers most of the city of Burnside and overlaps with Sturt at the federal level, has been occupied by the Liberal Party since the seat was created in 1970.
Candidate Jack Batty has been proclaimed the future of the Liberal Party SA. (ABC News: Evelyn Manfield)
Liberal candidate Jack Batty, 31, is considered the favorite for the seat, with party leader David Speirs describing him as “the new generation of the Liberal Party”.
“Vickie Chapman gave 20 years of service to our parliament and our state, it leaves a wonderful legacy,” Batty said.
“Today is an opportunity to elect a strong local voice in parliament and enforce strong opposition and also to refresh and renew our liberal team.”
Mrs. Chapman won the seat in March, despite a 7.6% swing against the Liberal Party.
Labor, the Greens hoping to cause unrest
Despite this change, the Liberals still hold Bragg by a margin of 8.2%.
Even Labor Prime Minister Peter Malinauskas admitted that Labor candidate Alice Rolls had limited chances of winning the seat.
“Bragg is largely the jewel in the crown of the Liberal Party. This is her diamond, but I believe in showing up and carrying the flag and Alice Rolls is a prominent candidate.”
Mrs Rolls hopes to be based on dissatisfaction with the Liberal Party after a number of voters expressed their displeasure at Chapman’s resignation.
“One of the most common things people have told me is that this is the third time I’ve voted in 105 days,” he said.
“At a cost of almost three-quarters of a million dollars … they’re angry about it. They’re also angry because they feel like they’ve taken them for granted in that seat.”
Environmentalist Jim Bastiras expects another shift toward the Greens. (ABC News: Evelyn Manfield)
Greens candidate James Bastiras hopes to overcome the “green wave” that has swept SA after the party won more than 12% of the vote in the Bragg primaries.
The Greens also saw a 5.2% change toward them in Sturt in the federal election.
“We are the party that advocates strong action against climate change and all that it entails, including the protection of our treetops, our streams, and we also advocate for more school places for our primary school children,” he said. Bastiras.
History teacher Daryl McCann represents Family First.
Unlikely results before next week
According to the South Australian Electoral Commission (ECSA), more than 4,500 early votes were cast in the by-elections with a similar number of postal voting applications submitted.
“More than a third of the votes in Bragg’s by-elections are declaration votes and will not be counted until Monday,” ECSA communications director James Trebilcock said.
“With this number of declaration votes, it is possible that the results of Bragg’s by-elections will not be known until next week, after counting the declaration votes.”