A FORMER ABC presenter and a woman whose party fooled a preference whisperer are increasingly likely to win upper house seats.
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The two central Victorians come from different sides of the political aisle and are both waiting with bated breath for a count that might not be clear for days.
That painstaking process continued on Monday in the Northern Victoria region, which covers Bendigo and a wider area stretching from Mildura to Corryong.
'I'm just waiting patiently', Nationals candidate says
Sedgwick's Gaelle Broad remains a favourite to pick up a seat as of Monday afternoon, with 40 per cent of the vote counted by 3pm.
The Nationals candidate and former ABC presenter could join Liberal MP Wendy Lovell on the opposition's benches.
Each candidate needs a quota of 16.7 per cent of votes or preferences to earn a seat and the Coalition has so far amassed 35.42, much of which will benefit Ms Lovell and Ms Broad as they appeared first and second on the party's ballot list.
Ms Broad is taking anything for granted.
"I'm just waiting patiently at the moment and I guess I will just see how many votes get counted over the next few days," she said.
Labor's Jaclyn Symes appears on track to keep her seat. Her party has 27.89 per cent of votes counted so far.
The high percentage keeps Bendigo-based candidate James McWhinney in the race, at least with a very distant shot.
The Greens have amassed the third highest number of first preferences behind the Coalition and Labor with 6.89 per cent of first preferences but some observers think it more likely their arch-ideological rivals at Pauline Hanson's One Nation, or Shooters, Fishers & Farmers Vic, would win.
The parties have less first preferences (3.96 and 5.29 per cent respectively) but are expected to benefit from favourable preference flows.
That said, most eyes are on the Animal Justice Party following its "sting" against controversial preference whisperer Glenn Druery.
The Animal Justice Party secretly submitted its own preferences after spending months gaining the trust of Mr Druery's trust in a protest against his election strategies, undercutting a carefully laid plan harnessing preference flows for the benefit of his political clientele.
While still receiving preferences from Mr Druery's clients, the Animal Justice Party directed theirs to a bloc of progressive parties it was more aligned with.
The sting has reverberated throughout Northern Victoria and the wider political landscape and brought new attention on voting rules critics say allow parties with tiny followings to game the system.
AJP preference whisperer 'sting' only part of the story
The trick appears to have benefited Kyneton's Georgie Purcell, lead northern Victorian candidate for the Animal Justice Party.
She has got 1.49 per cent of first preferences so far but remains on track to win a seat.
Ms Purcell says she only found out about her party's deal after preference paperwork had been submitted.
She suspects that even without the Druery trick she could be in a winning position.
"What's really important for me - which doesn't come from the Druery flow - is that I'm second on Labor's group voting ticket, I'm second on the Greens' group voting ticket, Legalise Cannabis, Reason and the Socialists," Ms Purcell said.
"They are parties that have performed better than the Druery block."
Preference flows may only be part of the Animal Justice Party's success.
The Animal Justice Party is reaping rewards from an apparent swing towards progressive parties, Ms Purcell said.
"Victorians have sent a clear message that they want a progressive parliament and that's been reflected in the projected upper house results," she said.
"There seems to have been a wipeout of those more conservative minor parties from the previous parliament."
Broad 'disappointed' by preference whisperer deals
Ms Broad, the Nationals candidate, was disappointed that some micro-parties had engaged with Mr Druery's controversial practices.
She hoped the government would prioritise reforms rendering preference whispering a thing of the past.
The Nationals are themselves celebrating a strong showing in many lower house electorates.
"It's just the quality of the local candidates, they are exceptional," Ms Broad said.
"The Nationals are a party with a long history so people know what we are reflecting and representing."
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Tom O'Callaghan
I grew up in Bendigo and I want to tell your stories.
I grew up in Bendigo and I want to tell your stories.
