6:58 – We have the first two booths from Hobart and the Greens candidate Cassy O’Connor has a big lead with 39.5%, ahead of Labor on 18.3% and independent Charlie Burton on 16.8%. Good start for her.
6:57 – We now have six booths reporting in Elwick, and independent mayor Bec Thomas is leading with 30.5%, with Labor’s Tessa McLaughlin on 28.2%. Definitely still too close to call.
6:56 – There’s now 16 booths reporting in Prosser, too many to keep up with the swings, but generally the Liberal Party is doing better than last time, with 35.4% compared to 24.6% for Labor. Last time around the Liberal candidate had a primary vote lead of about 5% and ended up winning narrowly, although the pool of preferences may have changed. Still, looking good for Kerry Vincent.
6:31 – The Liberal is definitely up in Coles Bay, from 37.3% to 44%. Labor is down from 25% to 17%.
6:26 – A second booth has reported from Prosser, and it’s Carlton. I don’t have a swing here as it wasn’t a booth in 2018, although it was generally a good area for independent Steve Mav. Liberal candidate Vincent is leading with 32.8% to Labor’s 26.4%.
6:24 – We now have the first booth in from Prosser, and it’s Broadmarsh in the south-western corner of the electorate. Howlett polled 35% there for the Liberal Party in 2018, and her successor Kerry Vincent managed 33% today. The Labor vote is up significantly, from 14% to 30%.
6:00 – Polls have just closed in three seats in the Tasmanian Legislative Council.
Voters in Hobart and Prosser will be electing their members for the next six years, while in the Hobart-area seat of Elwick a member will be chosen for the next four years.
All three seats are currently vacant without an incumbent contesting the race. This is the first time that there have been three open Council seats since 1909.
Elwick MLC Josh Willie and Prosser MLC Jane Howlett stepped down to successfully contest lower house seats for the ALP and Liberal Party respectively, while progressive independent Hobart MLC Rob Valentine is retiring after two terms.
While you wait for the first results to be reported, you can read my election guide, or check out my blog post from earlier this week on the spread of party contestation in the Tasmanian upper house.