Race for Goldstein tightens between Teal MP Zoe Daniel and Liberal Tim Wilson

Liberal candidate Tim Wilson is clinging to a narrow lead of just 254 votes over the Teals Zoe Daniel, as the fight to claim the seat of Goldstein heats up.

The bayside seat of Goldstein is on a knife-edge, with Liberal candidate Tim Wilson leading on a narrow 206 votes.

Mr Wilson’s margin over Teal MP Zoe Daniel has plummeted over the past few days as the remaining postal and absentee votes arrive.

The former member for Goldstein, who last week declared he had defied “political gravity” to win back the seat, on Friday posted on social media that “no matter what happens today: I always said this would be my last campaign, or my greatest”.

“I’m immensely proud that we called a community and a country to a higher purpose,” he wrote on Instagram.

Friday marks the last day postal votes can be received. At 1.15pm, fewer than 470 envelopes were awaiting processing.

Mr Wilson remains ahead 50.1-49.9 per cent on a two candidate preferred basis. At least 93.8 per cent of votes have been counted.

Liberal candidate Tim Wilson celebrated after declaring defeating against Independent Zoe Daniel in the seat of Goldstein. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

The Australian Electoral Commission is set to conduct a full distribution of preferences from Monday.

Asked on Thursday about the close count, Mr Wilson said: “The Teals have a crack, trained squad to knock out every single vote from my pile, because her primary vote is low and is having to desperately grab every preference”.

“We are scrutinising and calmly watching the vote,” he said, expressing appreciation for the scrutineers.

Ms Daniel, who was criticised for celebrating too early after doing a victory dance on election night, said she has been buoyed by the support since the election and thanked her scrutineers for their participation in an “open and honest democratic process”.

Zoe Daniel celebrated what she thought was a victory on election night. Picture: Instagram/anneriggsart

If the margin falls to 100 votes or less once all of them have been counted, the AEC will automatically conduct a recount.

Candidates are able to request a recount if the margin is greater, however, they must provide a compelling reason to do so as it is a costly and time consuming task.

It is still too early for a result in Calwell in Melbourne’s northwest, where 86 per cent of the vote has been counted.

Australian Electoral Commission experts say the situation in Calwell is “unprecedented”, with several of the 13 candidates receiving a sizeable portion of the vote.

Labor candidate Basem Abdo is leading the primary votes, followed by Liberal candidate Usman Ghani and independent candidate Carly Moore.

Originally published as Race for Goldstein tightens between Teal MP Zoe Daniel and Liberal Tim Wilson