Tasmanian Elections: Minister Palmer Leads, Huon Race Tight

Tasmanian voters headed to the polls yesterday for crucial Legislative Council elections in the Rosevears and Huon divisions. Early results indicate a strong showing for Education Minister Jo Palmer in Rosevears, where she holds a comfortable lead with over 42 percent of the first preference vote. This suggests a likely retention of her seat, a positive outcome for the government.

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We've completed the first stage of the count process, the first preference count on polling night, but there's still several stages to go through.

However, the southern seat of Huon presents a much tighter race. Incumbent Independent MLC Dean Harriss is currently leading, but only narrowly, with Kingborough Council Deputy Mayor Clare Glade-Wright, also an independent, close behind. The outcome in Huon appears destined to be decided by the complex distribution of preferences, a process that will likely take several days to complete.

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It does look like we're going to have to go through the full distribution of preferences to see the full result and that takes a number of days.

This electoral cycle highlights the continued strength of independent candidates in Tasmania's upper house, which is currently dominated by independents. The results underscore the nuanced political landscape of the state, where local issues and candidate profiles often play a significant role. Residents will be closely watching the ongoing counting process, particularly in Huon, as the final results are determined.

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We will also have to wait probably for postal votes to return after that 10-day deadline.