Jarrod Bell was declared as the councillor for Jacksons Hill Ward after a re-count of votes following the razor-thin initial margin.
The Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC) performed the re-count on Tuesday, November 12, after it was requested by Jacksons Hill Ward candidate Natalie Harrison.
In the initial VEC count, Ms Harrison was behind Mr Bell by just eight votes, where she received 6203 votes after preferences while incumbent councillor Mr Bell polled 6211 votes.
The re-count adjusted these figures to 6199 votes for Ms Harrison and 6215 for Mr Bell – 16 votes ahead of Ms Harrison.
Talking to Star Weekly on Wednesday, November 13, Mr Bell said he understood Ms Harrison’s desire for a re-count considering the tight voting margin.
“Understandably, I felt a bit nervous when Natalie requested a re-count, but … with a margin as narrow as ours, one of the smallest in [Hume’s] history, I completely understood the need for confirmation,” Mr Bell said.
“My experienced scrutineer team assured me they were confident the VEC’s initial count had been thorough, though we knew that such a small margin could leave room for some doubt. When the final results were confirmed yesterday, showing that my margin had increased, I was thrilled and incredibly grateful,” he said.
“This outcome has only deepened my commitment to serving the Jacksons Hill community.”
In an interview with Star Weekly after the first count, Ms Harrison said she was extremely happy with the result as it was her first time running for council, and that she will remain involved with community organisations and work towards the next council election.
Oscar Parry
