Recount called for seat of Ryde in NSW election

A recount has been ordered for the only remaining undecided seat in the NSW state election.

A recount has been ordered for a marginal seat in the NSW state election after one candidate was expected to win the seat by just 50 votes.

The unclear outcome for Ryde, in Sydney’s north west, will delay the declaration of the results for the election, which was set to take place on Friday.

Labor asked for the recount and on Thursday NSW Electoral Commissioner John Schmidt agreed, saying the recount was needed in order to ensure the correct result was reached.

“I am satisfied there are factors relevant to this particular election that mean a recount is appropriate before proceeding to declare the final results,” Mr Schmidt said.

Liberal for Ryde candidate Jordan Lane was ahead by 50 votes.

“There is no automatic requirement to recount votes when a result is close in a NSW election, as is the case in a federal election, and no errors in counting had been found.”

Liberal candidate Jordan Lane is currently ahead of Labor’s Lyndal Howison by 50 votes, and the recount is set to take place between Saturday and Monday.

It comes after the seat, in Sydney’s northwest, was the last seat to be called after the March 25 state election.

Mr Lane, who was elected mayor for the City of Ryde in 2022, was preselected to contest the seat after senior Liberal cabinet minister Victor Dominello retired from parliament.

Ms Howison said regardless of the final result, she will always “fight for what’s best for our community”.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Sydney with Lyndal Howison, NSW Labor Candidate for Ryde. Picture: NCA Newswire/ Monique Harmer

Labor is currently two seats short of the 47 required to form a majority.

The Liberal Party will hold 35 or 36 seats, while there are nine independents and three Green MPs making up the balance of the lower house.