Accuracy over speed crucial for fair and transparent election results
Monday 10 February 2025
For immediate release
The Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC) emphasised the importance of accuracy and integrity in counting votes for the Prahran and Werribee district by-elections and called for patience as ballots continue to be returned by post this week.
Electoral Commissioner Sven Bluemmel acknowledged that emotions may be heightened during close elections, as is the case in Werribee District.
‘We understand the desire for an immediate result, however, counting takes time and we prioritise accuracy over speed during counting processes,’ Mr Bluemmel said, ‘This is crucial to ensure electoral integrity and a result that stands up to scrutiny.
‘What matters most is making sure that every vote is counted accurately, and this takes time. Our systems are working as intended, with each vote scrutinised by candidate-appointed representatives monitoring the count at each step of the process,’ Mr Bluemmel added.
‘We also saw growing numbers of early and postal votes at these by-elections. A substantial proportion of postal votes are expected to be returned throughout this week, before the close of the postal receipt period at 6 pm on Friday 14 February. This can contribute to an outcome not being known on election night, especially in close seats.’
Mr Bluemmel noted that all early votes, election day votes, and postal votes received up to close of voting on Saturday were fully counted on election night. All counting venues finished their primary and two-candidate preferred (2CP) counts on the night as planned.
‘We know election nights are high-pressured environments, but it is vital that we follow protocols and maintain our independence. Today we are ensuring that due process continues with the re-checking of votes, which is a standard process for all Victorian state elections.
‘We are actively monitoring the rate of postal returns and at this stage primary results are expected to be known on the evening of Friday 14 February, before preference distributions occur over the following days.’