Candidate nominations live blog

7:16 – I’m going to end this live blog here and come back tomorrow morning with a summary of the candidate numbers.

One Nation has ended up running 147 candidates, with Trumpet of Patriots running 100, Family First 92, 46 Libertarians and 42 Legalise Cannabis. There are 132 independents, up from just 98 in 2022. In the upper house, the four biggest states all have significantly smaller ballot papers, but I’ll have the full picture tomorrow.

6:14 – I’ve just had to cut 20 candidates from my list because they don’t match the AEC list. This includes 10 Family First candidates and 5 TOP candidates. In at least one case there was a ON candidate who I had already moved from Werriwa to one of the Blacktown-area seats.

6:02 – The total number of House candidates is 1126, which is down from the record high of 1203 in 2022, and less than 1188 in 2013, but is otherwise the highest number. The average has dropped from 7.97 to 7.51.

5:58 – The AEC has now published their official list. I will merge it with my list then come back with some analysis. Then I’ll spend some time collecting websites for candidates before making my final update of the candidate lists on my election guides.

5:54 – I have now compiled data from 60 seats, or 40% of the country.

Across those 60 seats, Labor and the Greens are running everywhere. There are 64 Coalition candidates across 60 seats. I believe they are running everywhere too.

There are 31 candidates I haven’t been able to identify a party for. Of the remainder, One Nation are running in 41, TOP are running in 37 and Family First are running in 31. These numbers will likely rise a bit when those other candidates are identified, but it seems like these parties will fall some way short of the whole country.

4:22 – I’m going to put a pause on putting up summaries of candidate lists at this point. By my count I’ve put up 45, with another 13 in the queue. I’ll try to catch up and then summarise what we know.

4:16 – Kingsford Smith has five candidates, with ON and independent Elsa Parker joining the race.

The full order is ON, ALP, LIB, Parker (IND) and GRN.

3:54 – Two more candidates are running in Cunningham on top of the other four: John Fuller and Timothy Lavers, neither of whose party is clear. The full order is Labor, Citizens Party, Liberal, Fuller, Lavers, Greens.

3:44 – A sixth and seventh candidate have nominated for Blaxland: one from Family First, and Mitchell Klievens of an unknown party.

The full order is LIB, ALP, Klievens, GRN, LBT, FFP, Ouf (IND).

3:38 – The Lindsay field has doubled from five to ten, with FFP, SFF, AJP, Greens and TOP joining the list.

The full order is LIB, FFP, SFF, Saleam (IND), AJP, ON, HEART, GRN, ALP, TOP.

3:31 – And yes I was correct, Leigh Burns is back in Chifley.

In addition to Burns replacing Stuckey and two others who we already had, there are five more from FFP, LIB, ON, TOP and AJP.

The full order is FFP, Burns (IND), GRN, ALP, LIB, ON, TOP, AJP.

3:27 – Reid has grown from four to seven, with the Libertarians and TOP entering the race. I don’t know the party of Gina Ingrouille.

The full order is GRN, LIB, TOP, Ingrouille, ALP, LBT, Commerford (IND).

3:22 – Robert Stuckey and Leigh Burns were originally running for One Nation in Greenway and Chifley respectively, then they announced they were swapping seats and running as independents. Well Stuckey is back running in Greenway, with Burns presumably back running in Chifley.

Four more candidates have joined the ballot in Greenway on top of the other three: Stuckey, TOP and party-unknowns Mark Rex and Edwin Swann.

The full order is Stuckey (IND), Rex, GRN, LIB, ALP, TOP, Swann.

3:17 – The Gilmore field has doubled to eight, with TOP, FFP, ON and LGC joining the field.

The full order is ALP, Dezarnaulds (IND), TOP, GRN, FFP, LIB, ON, LGC.

3:13 – Ten candidates are running in Whitlam, including two new ones from TOP and independent Glenn Butterfield. The full order is GRN, LIB, Britton (IND), TOP, ON, LBT, Citizens, Moylan (IND), ALP, Butterfield (IND).

3:10 – Three more have joined the existing six in Aston: One Nation and independents Mark Grondman and Andrew Williams. The full order is LIB, ALP, FFP, Williams, LBT, Grondman, GRN, ON, TOP.

3:05 – Four more candidates have joined the existing four in Lyons: independent Angela Offord, SFF candidate Carlo Di Falco, and two of unknown party: Sarah Graham and Shaun Broadby.

The full order is Graham, Citizens Party, GRN, LIB, Broadby, Offord, SFF, ALP. Not great for the Labor candidate Rebecca White.

3:01 – Three more candidates have joined the existing four in Bass: TOP, independent George Razay and unknown-party Jordan Potter. The full order is ALP, Citizens Party, LIB, Potter, GRN, Razay, TOP.

2:58 – Durack has ballooned from three candidates to nine, with the Nationals, TOP, Christians and the Indigenous-Australian Party joining the race along with Kat Wright and Mark Berry, partisanship unknown.

The full order is LIB, Wright, NAT, Berry, IAP, TOP, ALP, GRN, CHR.

2:55 – Two more candidates have joined the other three in Brand. Those candidates are Stephen Box and Jim Matters, party unknown. The full order is GRN, Box, ALP, Matters, LIB.

2:52 – Three more candidates have joined Tangney’s list of six. Unfortunately the picture is a bit blurry but I think two of those new candidates are Steve Kefalinos and James Rae. I don’t know their parties. There’s also a new Legalise Cannabis candidate.

The full list is GRN, LIB, LGC, Kefalinos, ALP, Rae.

2:48 – The field of Fowler has grown from 5 to 7, with the Greens and Liberals also running. The full order is FFP, LBT, Dai Le (IND), GRN, ON, Tu Le (ALP), LIB. With the two main candidates having the same surname, that ballot order could be handy for Dai Le.

2:45 – The field in Wannon has ballooned from four to nine, with LGC, TOP, FFP, ON and independent Bernardine Atkinson joining the race.

The full order is Dyson (IND), FFP, GRN, TOP, LGC, ON, Tehan (LIB), ALP, Atkinson (IND).

2:41 – Robert O’Donovan has dropped off in Calare, but four other candidates in addition to the other six. The new candidates are from TOP, LGC, FFP and SFF.

The full order is ON, LGC, Hook (IND), TOP, GRN, FFP, Gee (IND), SFF, ALP, NAT.

2:36 – Five candidates are running in Sydney, up from three. The Liberal Party and another candidate named Vedran Torbarac are running. Let me know if you know Torbarac’s party.

The full list is Plibersek (ALP), SA, LIB, Torbarac, GRN.

2:33 – Six candidates running in Curtin, which is up two. The two new candidates are Fred Mulholland and Alexander Ironside, party status unknown. The full order is LIB, GRN, Chaney, Ironside, Mulholland, ALP.

2:30 – A seventh candidate from One Nation has joined Fremantle’s list. The full list is Hulett (IND), Citizens Party, ALP, GRN, LIB, ON, SA. The Socialist Alliance’s Josh Last is last.

2:28 – Two more candidates from One Nation and Legalise Cannabis are running in Cooper, on top of the other four.

The full list is ON, ALP, GRN, LIB, VS, LGC.

2:25 – Three more candidates have joined the first four in Bullwinkel, with ON, Australian Christians and Legalise Cannabis joining the race.

Full order is ON, CHR, LGC, LIB, ALP, NAT, GRN.

2:22 – Just four candidates in Perth, with One Nation joining the race. The full order is One Nation, Liberal, Greens, Labor.

2:20 – Amazingly Bean is still four candidates, with no last minute additions. The full order is LIB, Jessie Price (IND), GRN, Labor.

2:19 – In Fenner, former Liberal MLA Elizabeth Kikkert is back running for Family First. The full order is LIB, FFP, ALP, GRN.

2:18 – I have eight more sitting in my Discord waiting to do:

• Fenner
• Bean
• Perth
• Bullwinkel
• Cooper
• Fremantle
• Curtin
• Sydney

2:16 – Cowper’s field has ballooned from six to eleven. I don’t have names for four of those new candidates from LGC, TOP, LBT and FUS, but I’ll chase that up later. The fifth is an independent named Daley. The full order is ALP, Daley (IND), LGC, TOP, NAT, LBT, FFP, GRN, Heise (IND), Fusion, ON.

2:12 – One extra candidate, from TOP, has turned up in Groom. The full order is Suzie Holt, ON, FFP, GRN, LNP, Smolenski, TOP, ALP.

2:09 – WA’s Senate ballot has also shrunk, down from 22 to 18.

2:08 – Five new candidates have joined the field in Mackellar, adding up to nine: Lisa Cotton, Mandeep Singh, ON, Libertarian, TOP.

The full order is Cotton, ON, Greens, LBT, TOP, Liberal, Singh, Scamps, Labor.

2:04 – Three more candidates have joined the existing five in Warringah: TOP, ON and independent David Spratt. The full order is Zali Steggall (IND), ALP, TOP, Spratt, LBT, ON, Liberal, Greens.

2:02 – In Hunter, we’re saying goodbye to Libertarian candidate Prem Wakeman. Too soon. Maybe he’ll turn up somewhere else? AJP candidate Victoria Davies and Shooters, Fishers and Farmers candidate Kyle Boddan are new. The full order is ON, NAT, Legalise Cannabis, AJP, FFP, SFF, Suellen Wrightson (TOP), Dan Repacholi (ALP), Greens.

1:58 – Coming up soon!

• Hunter
• Warringah
• Mackellar
• Cowper

That’s on top of 14 seats where I have full lists. Keep ’em coming!

1:57 – Ann Seeley is back! After disappearing from Kooyong she has re-emerged in Menzies, presumably still running for Family First. The other new candidate is Jhett Edwards-Scott, partisanship unknown. The full order is TOP, Greens, Wolahan (LIB), Yee (IND), LBT, FFP, Labor, Edwards-Scott.

1:53 – In McMahon just five candidates are running, with One Nation joining the field. The full list is ON, Liberal, Bowen (ALP), Camenzuli, GRN.

1:51 – In Lyne three extra candidates have joined the race for a total of ten. Those three I don’t have names for but I believe they are from TOP, Family First and an independent who is not Jeremy Miller.

The full order is Greens, Labor, TOP, independent, Nationals, Miller, Family First, Legalise Cannabis, Citizens Party, Libertarian.

1:48 – In Ryan just one more candidate joined the other seven, from Fusion. I don’t have that candidate’s name if you can share it. The full order is FFP, Labor, Fusion, Greens, LNP, People First, TOP, ON.

1:46 – Bennelong’s list has doubled from four to eight, with TOP, Greens, Family First and One Nation joining the list. The full order is Liberal, HEART, TOP, Labor, Greens, FFP, ON, Fusion.

1:43 – In Richmond, five more candidates have joined the existing five. Two of those candidates are TOP and Libertarian, but the other three I don’t know. If you know the partisanship of Kevin Loughrey, Vivian McMahon and James McKenzie, let me know.

The order is: Greens, Labor, Loughrey, ON, McMahon, TOP, Nationals, Libertarian, McKenzie, People First.

1:38 – I also have a few fragmented bits of reporting from the comments on my blog. Remember I would love the full list if you have it. It’ll be hours before the AEC publishes the full list.

• Zali Steggall is first in Warringah, Greens are eighth.
• Labor is first in Lingiari
• Labor is ahead of the Greens and the Muslim independent in Blaxland.
• The Greens are first of ten candidates in Lyne.
• Labor above the Greens in Ryan
• Labor is first in Gilmore

1:35 – In Dawson, two more candidates have joined the existing five. For those two new candidates, I don’t have a party at the moment. If you know the partisanship of Darren Brown or John Beaumont, let me know. The order is: TOP, Beaumont, FFP, Andrew Willcox (LNP), Brown, GRN, ALP.

1:31 – In Franklin, only one extra candidate has joined the other five, who is from One Nation. The order is: Josh Garvin (LIB), Peter George (IND), Brendan Blomeley (IND), ON, GRN, Julie Collins (ALP).

1:27 – Ann Bown Seeley was supposedly running as the Family First candidate in Kooyong but never made it on the ballot. Three more candidates joined the other four, in this order: LBT, Amelia Hamer (LIB), GRN, ON, TOP, Monique Ryan, ALP.

1:17 – Three more candidates have joined the field in Melbourne. The order is ON, Sarah Witty (ALP), Tim Smith (IND), Anthony Koutoufides (IND), Adam Bandt (GRN), Fusion, Liberal.

1:14 – In Brisbane, two extra candidates have nominated on top of the other six. One Nation and Fusion have been added to the other six. The order is: ON, Madonna Jarrett (ALP), FFP, Stephen Bates (GRN), Trevor Evans (LNP), TOP, People First, Fusion.

1:09 – Nicholls is another seat with only three candidates on my previous list but there are seven official candidates. In order they are: Labor, Family First, TOP, ON, Nationals (Sam Birrell), Citizens Party, Greens.

1:07 – In Fraser, I also only had 3 candidates but six have nominated: Labor, Liberal, Greens, Vic Socialists, Family First and One Nation. Family First came first, Liberal fourth and Labor sixth.

1:03 – In Macnamara, I only had 3 candidates – Labor, Liberal and Greens – but six have nominated. The other three are One Nation, Libertarian and independent JB Myers. Josh Burns is first, the Greens’ Sonya Semmens is third, and Liberal Benson Saulo is fourth.

1:01 – The ACT ballot has also shrank, from 11 groups to seven.

12:58 – Quite a few ballot orders have been coming through and I’ll run through them as I can.

Victoria has 20 Senate groups, Queensland has 19, and NSW has 18. This is substantially smaller than in 2022, when those states had 26, 25 and 23 groups respectively. An indication that the field of parties is consolidating, almost a decade after Senate reform.

10:00 – Hello and welcome. I’m going to be using this live blog to cover the declaration of nominations today.

At midday local time in each part of Australia, ballot draws will be conducted for the House of Representatives and the Senate. Nominations closed yesterday, but we don’t yet know who made the final cut. At the declaration, those names will be announced, each candidate will have a ball assigned to them in a lottery device, and then those balls will be drawn out.

By the end of today I expect the AEC to publish the final data for every seat, but it takes some time for the data from those 158 ballot draws to be centrally collated. So for this liveblog I’m going to take what I can find being reported and provide updates here.

I last updated my candidate list about 10 days ago, and since then I haven’t made any more changes. At the time Labor, the Coalition and the Greens were all around 130-140 candidates and I expect they will run in every seat. There were also 71 Family First candidates, 56 One Nation candidates and 37 Trumpet of Patriots candidates. Kevin Bonham has reported that it’s now more like 70 candidates on the ON and TOP websites. If history is a guide, many candidates will pop up at the last moment with no internet presence.

I won’t be attending a ballot draw, but if you go to one or see the results of a ballot draw reported, please send the info to me! You can post it in the comments, use the contact form, or contact me on Bluesky or Discord. Thanks!