Vote count information

Results

The result of each count will be published as soon as practicable after completion, in a series of reports:

Initial Count First Preference Votes

Initial Count Two Candidates Preferred

Check Count First Preference Votes

Check Count Two Candidates Preferred

Distribution of Preferences

Counts overview

The ballot papers will undergo the following counts:

Initial count

The first count of first preference votes, conducted at voting centres on election night and at the Election Manager’s office from election night onwards. An initial count is conducted for each venue and vote type (e.g. postal votes and declaration votes). The initial count is a manual count.

Ballot papers are examined for formality and sorted to the first preference for each candidate or to the Informals pile, i.e. ballot papers where there is no first preference recorded or that cannot be sorted to a candidate as they appear to be informal).

Note: The Initial Count is considered an indicative count only.

Two candidates preferred (TCP) count

Before election day, the Electoral Commissioner selects the two candidates who are considered most likely to be the two remaining candidates after the distribution of preferences. These are known as the ‘TCP candidates’.

The TCP count is conducted immediately after the initial count by distributing each of the non-TCP candidates’ ballot papers to the TCP candidate with the next highest preference on each ballot paper. It is a manual count.

Note: The TCP Count is not the official distribution of preferences. It provides an indication of the likely election outcome. 

Check count

The check count is a combination of a manual process (batching) and a data entry process:

• Batching: sorting the ballot papers for each candidate into single preference (i.e. there is only a single ’1’, a single ‘tick’, or a single ‘cross’ on the ballot paper and no other preferences) and multi preference. The Informals pile is sorted into Blanks and Non-Blanks.
• Registration: entering the check count results into the NSW Electoral Commission’s computer count system.
• Data Entry: entering all preferences on all multi preference ballot papers into the computer count system. The single preference ballot papers for each candidate and the blanks are registered as a bulk figure (during the Registration step above) and do not undergo data entry.

Note: The check count is the official count that is used in the distribution of preferences within the computer count system to determine the elected candidate(s). The check count results, and the TCP results based on the check count will be progressively published on the Results webpage.

Distribution of preferences

The distribution of preferences (DoP) to determine the elected candidate can only be conducted after the close of receipt of postal votes and after all check counts are complete. It is conducted within the computer count system in an automated manner, using all the preference data entered during the check count.

The DoP will be conducted in the Election Manager's office during the week commencing Monday, 8 July 2024.

Note: The exact date and time of the DoP will be published closer to the date. The Results webpage will display the final count reports as soon as practicable after the DoP.

Count timeline

The following is a guide to the timing and locations of counting. Please note the timetable is subject to change, updates will be published here.
 

Initial scrutiny of postal votes

The initial scrutiny of postal votes and the counting of votes will be conducted at the Election Manager’s office. This includes:

• scrutiny of postal vote certificates to determine whether the postal votes are to be accepted
• extraction of ballot papers from accepted postal votes. The ballot papers will be extracted, unfolded, tallied and stored in securely sealed ballot paper cartons. The ballot papers will not be inspected prior to the initial count.

Postal vote scrutiny and counting cannot be completed until the last day that a postal vote may be received, i.e. by 6pm Friday, 5 July 2024.

The initial count of postal votes is comprised of three ‘progressive counts’. The scrutiny timeline is below:

Initial scrutiny of declaration votes

Declaration votes are:

• Enrolment: issued to a person omitted from the authorised roll, a person enrolling for the first time, or a person updating their enrolment from their old district to their new district
• Name already marked as voted: issued to an elector who has already been marked as having voted but who claims not to have voted.

These electors are required to complete a written declaration on an envelope and their ballot paper will be placed in this envelope before being placed in a ballot box.

The initial scrutiny of declaration vote envelopes will be conducted at the Election Manager’s office. This includes:

• scrutiny of the declaration vote envelopes to determine whether the declaration vote is to be accepted into the count – commences Monday, 24 June 2024.
• extraction and initial count of ballot papers from accepted declaration vote envelopes – commences Thursday, 27 June 2024.

Early voting centres to be counted on election night 

Early voting centres scheduled to be counted on election night at the Election Manager’s office are listed below:

• Moree Masonic Centre
• Uralla Memorial Hall
• Guyra Community Hall

Election Manager’s office address and hours of operation

The office is located at 214 Beardy Street, Armidale NSW.

Its hours of operation are Monday to Saturday, 9am–5pm.

On election day Saturday, 22 June 2024, counting will commence at 6pm and cease at 10pm.

Sunday following election day

No counting will occur on the Sunday following election day.

Scrutineers

Candidates and parties may appoint scrutineers to represent them at any location where postal and declaration vote envelopes are scrutinised and ballot papers extracted and where votes are counted. Section 17 of the Candidate handbook (PDF 3.9MB) provides important information for political participants about scrutineering. Please also refer to the Scrutineer policy (PDF 0.1MB) on our website.

Scrutineers must be appointed in writing by completing an SE.213 Appointment of Scrutineer form (PDF 0.1MB) available on the website. Scrutineers must complete the declaration on that form each time they wish to attend a count location.

Additional information

How votes are counted in a state election