AN audit of the votes cast in the election for Derwent Valley mayor is under way to ensure the right candidate is excluded as the distribution of preferences nears its end.
Acting mayor Jessica Cosgrove received 899 primary votes but is now one vote away from being excluded after Michelle Dracoulis and Julie Triffett overtook her on preferences. The Tasmanian Electoral Commission is triple-checking the vote count after finding that Cr Cosgrove and Cr Triffett were separated by only one vote.
The current tally (unofficial) is Dracoulis 1236, Triffett 1145 and Cosgrove 1144. The remaining candidates (Peter Binny, Phil Bingley and Tony Nicholson) have been excluded and their preferences distributed.
After rechecking and a short break for the counters, the next candidate with the lowest vote will be excluded and their preferences will be distributed to determine who will be mayor for the next six months.
If unsuccessful in her bid for the mayoralty, Cr Cosgrove will return to her position as deputy mayor for the remainder of this term, which is expected to conclude in October.
Follow the vote count at the Tasmanian Electoral Commission website.
