AEC draws order of candidates on federal election ballot papers using blindfolds, bingo-like system

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Eighty-four votes. That is all that separates the two major parties in Sydney’s most marginal seat of Bennelong. Today random draws decided the order in which candidates will appear on ballot paper.

Transcript

00:00An electoral lottery, to decide which political hopeful gets poll position on the ballot paper.

00:12The draw for the upper North Shore seat of Bradfield drew a crowd.

00:17Teal Independent Nicolette Buller took a sizeable bite from Liberal Paul Fletcher's margin last time.

00:23But with the former frontbencher retiring and the electorate gaining territory from the abolished Independent seat of North Sydney,

00:29this could be her chance to finish the job.

00:31I don't take anything for granted, but I'm pretty confident and excited.

00:35I'm hopeful, obviously. I take nothing for granted.

00:38One of Bradfield's newest voters took part in this ritual of representative democracy.

00:43It is a little bit weird. I was very surprised that they allowed for me to actually turn the wheel.

00:49There's reason for the randomness.

00:51If your name is first, that sometimes can be a significant advantage, but really only about half to one percent.

00:57The Liberal candidate for Bennelong, Scott Jung, claimed the top spot, which is not good news for the incumbent, Labor's Jerome Laxell.

01:04The redrawing of boundaries has turned the seat notionally blue, but he's not giving up.

01:09Anthony Green says the margin is 0.04 percent, so we calculated that to be 84 votes.

01:16Whilst Bennelong may now be Liberal on paper, the party isn't taking any chances.

01:21Here at Top Ride, it's putting significant resources into its campaign to seize back the once blue ribbon electorate.

01:28I don't like Labor's, that's for sure.

01:30I'm not entirely sure at this moment.

01:33Mr Jung laid low today after complaints about him handing out Easter eggs to children outside a local school.

01:39Victory is sure to be sweet in one of the city's tightest contests.

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