URGENT UPDATE: Legal teams for Nicolette Boele and Gisele Kapterian are set to meticulously examine 792 disputed ballots in a high-stakes court challenge concerning the controversial outcome of the 2025 federal election in Bradfield. The court has mandated that this critical vote review begins later this month, as the race remains too close to call.
Boele, representing the teal independent movement, was declared the winner by a mere 26 votes on June 4, 2025, defeating Kapterian, the Liberal Party candidate. This seat, historically dominated by the Liberal Party since its inception in 1949, is now under legal scrutiny following a month-long recount filled with twists and discrepancies.
In July, the New South Wales Liberal Party confirmed intentions to challenge the results, citing concerns over the validity of a “small number of ‘line ball’ ballots” that were contested during the recount. On Friday, the federal court issued a ruling allowing both legal teams three days—from 10 AM to 5 PM—to review the ballots, which will be numbered 1 to 792. Each team must subsequently present reasons for any disputed votes.
The timeline is tight. After the initial review, both teams will reconvene for an additional day in September to discuss findings before submitting a final list of disputed ballots to the court by September 25. The court has enforced strict regulations, ensuring that the examination occurs under the supervision of a court official, with no photography, photocopying, or alterations allowed to the ballots.
The decisive hearing to finalize Bradfield’s vote count is set for October 2, 2025, expected to be a one-day affair in Sydney. The recount had already seen the AEC reverse its initial declaration, which had Kapterian ahead by eight votes following the first distribution of preferences. The final count revealed Boele with 50.01% of the votes compared to Kapterian’s 49.99%.
Kapterian’s legal team claims that 56 votes intended for the Liberal candidate were erroneously rejected, while 95 votes for Boele were improperly accepted. This petition was escalated to the federal court earlier this month for a “just and efficient resolution.”
Challenges to federal election results are rare; only 50 challenges have been adjudicated by the court of disputed returns since 1907. Kapterian, who has been appointed a shadow assistant minister under Sussan Ley’s Coalition frontbench, is keenly focused on this outcome, which could reshape the political landscape in Bradfield.
The urgency of this situation cannot be overstated, as the legal battle continues to unfold, with far-reaching implications for the electoral process in Australia. Stay tuned for continuous updates as this story develops.
