Uncounted ballots trigger recount in SA’s Narungga seat won by One Nation
Consensus Summary
A recount in South Australia’s Narungga seat was ordered on April 16, 2026, after 77 unopened absent votes and 4 declaration votes were discovered uncounted, potentially altering the razor-thin 58-vote victory of One Nation’s Chantelle Thomas over Liberal Tania Stock. The ballots were found in sealed boxes returned to the Electoral Commission, prompting a further count on April 17 to assess whether the result would change if included. Acting Commissioner Leah McLay emphasized the recount is for integrity, not to overturn the declared outcome unless legally required. Liberal leader Ashton Hurn demanded transparency, while Stock expressed concerns about the process, including the absence of scrutineers during the discovery. The initial election on March 21 saw One Nation gain four lower house seats, outperforming the Liberals, though the broader Labor government won a landslide victory. The commission has faced criticism over election-day issues, including understaffing and delays, with the SA government committing to an independent review of the poll.
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Key details reported by multiple sources:
- A recount in the SA seat of Narungga was ordered on April 16, 2026, after 77 unopened absent ordinary ballot papers and 4 declaration ballot papers were discovered uncounted.
- Chantelle Thomas (One Nation) was declared the winner of Narungga by a margin of 58 votes over Tania Stock (Liberal) on April 2, 2026, following an initial recount.
- The recount will take place on Friday, April 17, 2026, to determine if the result would have differed if the uncounted ballots were included.
- The uncounted ballots were found in three sealed boxes returned to the Electoral Commission of South Australia, including 81 ballots for Narungga (per Guardian) or 77 absent votes + 4 declaration votes (per ABC/Newscomau).
- Acting Electoral Commissioner Leah McLay stated the result has already been declared and the recount is to ensure integrity, not to change the outcome unless legally required.
- Liberal leader Ashton Hurn demanded the Electoral Commission provide clarity on the uncounted ballots, calling for an explanation of their origin and proper scrutiny.
- The seat of Narungga is located on South Australia’s Yorke Peninsula.
- The initial election was held on March 21, 2026, with the first recount conducted on April 1–2, 2026.
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- The 81 unopened ballots were found at a Port Pirie early voting centre in the neighbouring seat of Stuart.
- Deputy Premier Kyam Maher announced an independent review of the 2026 state election and voters’ experiences, citing issues like delays, understaffing, and handling of the First Nations Voice vote.
- The SA government won the March 21 election in a landslide, but One Nation outperformed the Liberals in the election.
- The commission had already conducted a recount on the knife-edge seat before the new ballots were discovered.
- The recount was triggered by 77 uncounted ‘absent votes,’ which is 19 more than Thomas’s winning margin of 58 votes.
- Liberal candidate Tania Stock was unaware of the recount announcement when contacted by ABC, despite the commission claiming all candidates were notified.
- The uncounted ballots included 77 absent ordinary ballot papers and 4 declaration ballot papers, with the latter specified as part of the discovery.
- Liberal leader Ashton Hurn told 891 ABC Adelaide that the commission ‘have some explaining to do’ regarding the uncounted ballots.
- Tania Stock expressed concern about the process, stating she had not received official confirmation of extra votes and found it unusual for boxes to be opened without scrutineers present.
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- The Guardian states 81 unopened ballots were found for Narungga, while ABC and Newscomau specify 77 absent votes + 4 declaration votes (totaling 81), but the Guardian does not mention the breakdown into absent/declaration types.
- The Guardian reports 81 ballots were found at a Port Pirie early voting centre in Stuart, while ABC/Newscomau do not mention Stuart as the location of the uncounted ballots.
- Newscomau claims Liberal candidate Tania Stock was unaware of the recount announcement, while the Guardian and ABC state the commission had notified all candidates.
Source Articles
Discovery of unopened ballots prompts recount in SA seat One Nation won by just 58 votes
AEC to recount votes in electorate of Narungga after Chantelle Thomas won the seat at the March state election Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast One Nation’s claim to the seat of Narungga has hit a snag weeks after the South Australian election. Uncounted ballot papers were discovered on Thursday, forcing a recount in the Yorke Peninsula seat, which One Nation’s Chantelle Thomas won by just 58 votes. Continue readi
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