10.40pm – The Liberal National Party’s lead in the Queensland seat of Herbert narrowed to 12 votes today, with 1,089 votes still to count.

Herbert is the last seat to be decided in the election. A win for the LNP would give the Turnbull government 77 seats and a majority of three in the House. A win for the ALP would give it 69 seats against 76 for the government, a majority of just one. There are 5 crossbenchers.

Herbert is held by Ewen Jones, who was first elected in 2010.

The remaining votes to be counted in Hebert include 200 absents, 446 provisionals, 399 declaration pre-poll and 44 postals. Current figures show the LNP winning 56.57% of postals and 53.55% of declarations pre-poll, whilst the ALP is winning 51.55% of absents and 60.78% of provisionals. If these proportions hold for the remaining 1,089 votes, and assuming no votes are declared informal and no further votes are added to the count, the ALP will win the seat by 55 votes. [Read more…]