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A former mayor and local government veteran who is scrutineering the council elections says Whipstick ward could go down to the wire.
Former Huntly councillor Neil Hamilton said preliminary figures indicated a cliff hanger.
“I’ve never seen one so close,” Mr Hamilton said.
“Any number of five or six candidates could win – it will all come down to how preferences flow.”
Early figures from Eppalock Ward seen by the Bendigo Advertiser also indicate a tight-fought encounter as a distinct possibility.
With more than 3800 votes counted, George Flack, Margaret O’Rourke and Yvonne Wrigglesworth led the pack, in that order.
But Colin Carrington, Susie Hawke, Helen Leach and Rosemary Glaisher had all received a significant per cent of the vote.
At the last City of Greater Bendigo election, that ward received about 19,600 votes.
Mr Hamilton is acting as the scrutineer for incumbent Whipstick ward councillor James Williams, who he claimed had a narrow lead on first preferences from a sample poll of 1000 votes.
At the last election, that ward received slightly less than 20,800 votes.
“But Andrea [Metcalf], Julie [Hoskin], Peter [Cox] and Thomas [Prince] are all in the pack,” he said.
“If I was a betting man I’d say Andrea and Julie, with Peter and James to fight out the third spot.
“But Thomas is up there and even Wayne Gregson could sneak in.”
However, Mr Hamilton said the high number of candidates and the even spread of votes made the result almost impossible to predict.
“Of course, it could all change entirely...we just won’t know until tomorrow,” he said.
Provisional results are scheduled to be announced at 5pm tomorrow with official results set for Monday morning.
Related: Representation a two-way street