Recount in Narungga Seat After Missing Ballots

0:00It's April 16, I'm Cory with the story. This is Sydney News today, driven by AI. South Australia's Electoral Commission just dropped a bombshell on the Narunga Seed Race. One nation's Chantal Thomas was declared the winner after a recount, beating Liberals Tania Stock by a razor-thin 58 votes. But now, they found 77 absent-ordinary ballot papers and four declaration ones from the Stewart District that never got counted. This mix-up means a fresh count is underway for Narunga, a rural spot on the York Peninsula. Officials say these ballots ended up in the wrong boxes, though other districts had similar issues with bigger margins, so no big drama there. Thomas is fired up, calling it a hurdle that questions the whole elections integrity. She says her community already spoke loud and clear, and she's no business owner, just a former makeup artist and full-time mom fighting for her kids. Liberals leader Ashton Hurn says it raises alarm bells, but probably won't flip the result.

1:03Acting Commissioner Leah McClay has locked down the ballots and ordered the recount. If it changes anything, it'll head straight to the court of disputed returns. They're launching an investigation plus an independent external review. Acting Premier Kaya Mars team is finalizing terms for that review. To check how the March 21st election ran, meanwhile, all eyes they glued to Narunga as this tight race hangs in the balance once more.