UPDATE: 9.45pm
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The CLP’s chief minister Adam Giles has conceded defeat in the 2016 Northern Territory election.
Shortly before 9pm, Mr Giles conceded a “land slide election” but said the CLP “will return”.
“We will come back cohesively,” he said.
“We will remove the disagreements and we will remove the personalities from politics and we will come back bigger and better.”
In Katherine, at 9.37pm 68.8 per cent of the vote had been counted, with the following results:
- Willem Westra van Holthe, CLP – 1250
- Sandra Nelson, ALP – 1119
- Braedon Earley, 1 Territory – 664
- Chris Righton, Shooters and Fishers – 246
- Dean David, Independent – 245
- Leon Cellier, Independent – 51
Two candidate preferred had Ms Nelson at 50.8 per cent, leading Mr Westra van Holthe at 49.2 per cent, but Mr Westra van Holthe has told the Katherine Times he would not yet be conceding defeat.
“I always knew the election here in Katherine was going to be tight this time,” he said.
However, he said it was “still early days” and he was hoping for a good outcome for the CLP in Katherine.
“Not all of the votes have been counted,” he said.
Ms Nelson also told the Katherine Times she would not be making a call on the election in Katherine at this time.
UPDATE: 7pm
Early counting shows Country Liberal Party’s Willem Westra van Holthe with 36.0 per cent of the primary vote.
The Australian Labor Party’s Sandra Nelson holds 31.2 per cent; Braedon Earley, 1 Territory Party, holds 16.3 per cent and Chris Righton, Shooters and Fishers Party, holds 9.6 per cent.
Of the Independent candidates, Dean David holds 5.7 per cent and Leon Cellier holds 1.2 per cent.
Total counted is 20.4 per cent.
UPDATE: 6pm
Polls have closed in the 2016 Northern Territory election. Results will follow as they become available.
UPDATE: 3pm
Candidates speak with the Katherine Times.
Leon Cellier – Independent:
Willem Westra van Holthe – Country Liberal Party:
Braedon Earley – 1 Territory Party
Sandra Nelson – Australian Labor Party
Chris Righton – Shooters and Fishers Party
UPDATE: 11am
A spokesperson from the Northern Territory Electoral Commission has said that at the close of voting yesterday, total early votes, including early, remote, postal and mobile voting, stood at 52,604.
She said that in the first 90 minutes after polls opened today – election day – 6,710 votes were taken.
This is the first election in which voting centres in the Northern Territory have replaced hard copy electoral rolls with an electronic roll on netbook computers.
NT Electoral Commissioner Iain Loganathan said the technology quickened the voting process and reduced waiting times.
“There are 400 wi-fi connected netbooks with specialist electoral roll software being used in all voting centres across the Northern Territory, including remote mobile voting centres,” he said.
EARLIER: 8am
POLLS have opened in Katherine in the 2016 Northern Territory election.
They will be open until 6pm today.
The division is held by Country Liberal Party member Willem Westra van Holthe, who is contesting his seat against five other candidates – Sandra Nelson, Australian Labor Party; Braedon Earley, 1 Territory Party; Chris Righton, Shooters and Fishers Party; Dean David, Independent; and Leon Cellier, Independent.
In Katherine, you can vote at the Katherine Civic Centre and at MacFarlane Preschool, Grevillea Road, Katherine East.
For Arnhem, Daly and Stuart voting centres, check the schedule at ntec.nt.gov.au
Follow our live coverage here on the Katherine Times website or on the Katherine Times Facebook page.
Regular election updates will be given after voting centres close on Saturday night.
For our rolling coverage: #katherinevotes