Latest news with #Kapterian
Sydney Morning Herald
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Sydney Morning Herald
The 151 ballots that the NSW Liberals say should overturn the Bradfield result
Gisele Kapterian, the unsuccessful Liberal candidate for Bradfield, says at least 56 ballot papers were wrongly rejected in the final recount of the ultra-marginal seat, while 95 were incorrectly allowed, prompting her to ask the High Court to overturn the result and declare her the winner. Kapterian last week ended weeks of speculation and lodged a petition with the High Court, which sits as the Court of Dispute Returns to hear election challenges, in a bid to be declared victorious in Bradfield instead of teal MP-elect Nicolette Boele. Boele, who will give her inaugural speech to federal parliament on July 28, won the once blue-ribbon Liberal seat after a recount of the northern Sydney seat in which she finished 26 votes ahead of Kapterian. In her petition, Kapterian says the Australian electoral officer (AEO) – who is the electoral commission's manager in each state – 'wrongly rejected at least 56 of the reserved ballot papers, where those ballot papers indicated a preference, by the voter, for the petitioner ahead of the first respondent'. Boele is listed as the first respondent. 'In each such case the ballot paper was not informal and should not have been rejected,' the petition says, referencing examples such as the officer 'not being satisfied that the figure 1 in one square was distinguishable from the figure in another square'. Kapterian has not seen the ballot papers, and her legal team will be provided with them once the AEC hands them to the court. However, her concerns were formed based on feedback and notes taken by scrutineers overseeing the final recount. The AEO was tasked with reviewing and making rulings on 795 reserved ballot papers. As well as the rejected ballots, Kapterian's petition says the AEO 'wrongly admitted at least 95 of the reserved ballot papers, where those ballot papers indicated a preference, by the voter, for the first respondent ahead of the petitioner'.
The Age
21-07-2025
- Politics
- The Age
The 151 ballots that the NSW Liberals say should overturn the Bradfield result
The unsuccessful Liberal candidate for Bradfield, Gisele Kapterian, says at least 56 ballot papers were wrongly rejected in the final recount of the ultra-marginal seat, while 95 were incorrectly allowed, prompting her to ask the High Court to overturn the result and declare her the winner. Kapterian last week ended weeks of speculation and lodged a petition with the High Court, which sits as the Court of Dispute Returns to hear election challenges, in a bid to be declared victorious in Bradfield instead of teal MP-elect Nicolette Boele. Boele, who will give her inaugural speech to federal parliament on July 28, won the once blue-ribbon seat after a recount of the northern Sydney seat, which saw her finish 26 votes ahead of Kapterian. However in her petition, Kapterian says the Australian electoral officer (AEO) – who is the electoral commission's manager in each state – 'wrongly rejected at least 56 of the reserved ballot papers, where those ballot papers indicated a preference, by the voter, for the petitioner ahead of the first respondent'. Boele is listed as the first respondent. 'In each such case the ballot paper was not informal and should not have been rejected,' the petition says, referencing examples such as the officer 'not being satisfied that the figure 1 in one square was distinguishable from the figure in another square'. Kapterian has not seen the ballot papers, and her legal team will only be provided with them once the AEC hands them to the court. However, her concerns were formed based on feedback and notes taken by scrutineers who were overseeing the final recount. The AEO was tasked with reviewing and making rulings on 795 reserved ballot papers. As well as the rejected ballots, Kapterian's petition says the AEO 'wrongly admitted at least 95 of the reserved ballot papers, where those ballot papers indicated a preference, by the voter, for the first respondent ahead of the petitioner'.
AU Financial Review
16-07-2025
- Politics
- AU Financial Review
Is that 1 or 7? What the judge will have to decide in Bradfield
Liberal Gisele Kapterian's claim that she belongs in parliament rests on a challenge to 151 questionable ballots, which a judge will now have to decipher one pencil squiggle at a time. Kapterian has applied to the Court of Disputed Returns alleging the Australian Electoral Commission committed 'illegal practices' wrongly including or excluding these ballots in a bid to overturn her 26-vote defeat in a recount that stretched on for more than a month after the May 3 federal election.
The Age
15-07-2025
- Politics
- The Age
‘I am a fighter': Kapterian reveals why she is challenging the Bradfield result
Liberal candidate for Bradfield Gisele Kapterian says she is not seeking a byelection in the once blue ribbon northern Sydney seat but instead wants a judge to rule on some 800 ballots that she believes could swing the May election result in her favour. Kapterian on Tuesday lodged a petition in the High Court, which sits as the Court of Disputed Returns, in a bid to have the Bradfield result overturned by a judge. Teal candidate Nicolette Boele won Bradfield in a recount, with just 26 votes separating the pair. Kapterian, who has a frontbench position on hold for her in Canberra, said she was expecting a 'short and sharp' hearing which would come at no cost to the taxpayers. Kapterian has indemnity from the Liberal Party in the event of a loss, but Boele is a respondent so will likely incur costs. 'The refs on the field have made a call, and we're going to the video umpire. That's all this is, it is a pure extension of the count,' Kapterian told the Herald in an exclusive interview. 'We're just hoping to make sure that we give a voice to as many of those voters in Bradfield as possible, just to make sure that the count actually reflects those voter intentions. 'I don't anticipate a byelection to be the result of this challenge, and we haven't asked for one.' While Kapterian has not seen the ballots in question, she said between the initial count and the recount about 170 votes that were originally assessed as formal were ruled informal. This was one of the key reasons prompting her to pursue a court challenge. Her legal team, Melbourne-based barristers Philip Crutchfield KC and Dean Luxton, will be provided with access to the ballots once they are lodged with the court.
Sydney Morning Herald
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘I am a fighter': Kapterian reveals why she is challenging the Bradfield result
Liberal candidate for Bradfield Gisele Kapterian says she is not seeking a byelection in the once blue ribbon northern Sydney seat but instead wants a judge to rule on some 800 ballots that she believes could swing the May election result in her favour. Kapterian on Tuesday lodged a petition in the High Court, which sits as the Court of Disputed Returns, in a bid to have the Bradfield result overturned by a judge. Teal candidate Nicolette Boele won Bradfield in a recount, with just 26 votes separating the pair. Kapterian, who has a frontbench position on hold for her in Canberra, said she was expecting a 'short and sharp' hearing which would come at no cost to the taxpayers. Kapterian has indemnity from the Liberal Party in the event of a loss, but Boele is a respondent so will likely incur costs. 'The refs on the field have made a call, and we're going to the video umpire. That's all this is, it is a pure extension of the count,' Kapterian told the Herald in an exclusive interview. 'We're just hoping to make sure that we give a voice to as many of those voters in Bradfield as possible, just to make sure that the count actually reflects those voter intentions. 'I don't anticipate a byelection to be the result of this challenge, and we haven't asked for one.' While Kapterian has not seen the ballots in question, she said between the initial count and the recount about 170 votes that were originally assessed as formal were ruled informal. This was one of the key reasons prompting her to pursue a court challenge. Her legal team, Melbourne-based barristers Philip Crutchfield KC and Dean Luxton, will be provided with access to the ballots once they are lodged with the court.
