Despite a crushing victory to the Labor Party across the state, the count in the district of Ripon is expected to go down to the wire for the second consecutive state election.
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As of 9.30am on Sunday morning, Labor’s Sarah De Santis held a slim 60 vote lead after preferences from the Liberal Party’s and incumbent MP Louise Staley.
In an update from the Victorian Electoral Commission at 2.29am on Sunday morning, Ms De Santis had received 15,580 preferenced votes (50.1 per cent) ahead of Ms Staley’s 15,520 (49.9 per cent).
33,650 or 70.44 per cent of votes in the electorate had been counted at that point in time.
Ms Staley had received 80 more first preference votes but preferences from other parties helping Ms De Santis into a slender lead.
Shooters, Fishers and Farmers candidate Peter Fava had received the third most amount of first preference votes, taking in 6.44 per cent.
Derryn Hinch’s Justice Party’s Sandra Gibbs received 4.62 per cent of the first preference vote, with Greens’ Serge Simic receiving 3.77 per cent.
At the 2014 election, Ms Staley ended 15 years of a Labor hold on Ripon, winning against ALP candidate Daniel McGlone by just 601 votes after preference redistribution.
More to come.