<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/south-australia" rel="" target="" title="South Australian"><span>South Australian</span></a><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/one-nation" rel="" target="" title="One Nation"><span>One Nation</span></a><span> candidate has questioned how new electoral laws impacted the electoral commission after uncounted votes thrust her seat of Narungga into a third vote count.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Chantelle Thomas claimed the Yorke Peninsula seat two weeks ago on a razor-thin margin of just 58 votes.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The March 21 vote was so close that a recount was called in the electorate to ensure there were no errors.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/light-plane-crash-berrima-nsw/80047b2d-2adb-4b07-aff5-94d9a2da0678" target="_blank"><strong><span>Pilot trapped in wreckage after light plane crashes into paddock on NSW Southern Highlands</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But South Australia's Electoral Commission (ECSA) today ordered a second recount of the vote after 81 unopened ballot papers were found in the neighbouring district of Stuart.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The unopened batch of votes was collected from the Port Pirie early voting centre on Tuesday, Deputy Premier Kyam Maher said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The commission said its acting commissioner Leah McLay contacted all candidates to notify them of the third count.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/south-australia-election-vote-recount-narungga-one-nation-liberal/93e012bd-307e-4dea-abfd-7588b4f63956" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Following the discovery of votes that have not been counted, I have secured the unopened ballot papers and have ordered a further count for the district of Narungga," McLay said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The Commission will support any independent external review into the 2026 State Election and South Australian First Nations Voice to Parliament Election."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/manhunt-for-newcastle-prisoner-wrongly-released/c1c173f8-4f23-423c-bf07-ee95b3815d45" target="_blank"><strong><span>Police hunt inmate wrongly released from NSW prison</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The recount will take place tomorrow, attended by scrutineers and McLay herself.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Thomas slammed news of the recount as "very disappointing for my community in Narungga".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We're being forced to wait - again - to see who will be Narungga's representative in Parliament," she said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Let's be clear: this raises serious questions about the integrity of the South Australian election, whether the electoral commission was fully prepared for it, and how Labor's new electoral laws - passed with Liberal support - impacted on the electoral commission's preparations.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Like everyone else, I'll have to wait for the count on Friday. Afterwards I'm sure there will be more to say about it."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>An independent review into the election has been ordered by the government, Maher said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/adelaide-mum-denied-22k-parental-leave-due-to-unfair-rule/519e89c3-d8c1-4f95-861c-b23e9fd74d77" target="_blank"><strong><span>Mum denied $22k parental leave due to 'unfair' rule</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Elections are incredibly complex things to undertake. There are thousands of employees, hundreds of polling booths and over a million votes to count," Maher said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span> "We are now finalising terms of reference and in an addition to that an independent review of how the election was conducted and voters experience."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Narungga was the final lower house seat to be called in the election, granting Pauline Hanson's conservative party its fourth seat in Parliament.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The South Australian Liberal Party secured five seats in the Labor Party's landslide victory on election night.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><em><span>NEVER MISS A STORY:</span></em></strong><span> </span><em><span>Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.</span></em></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><ul><li><strong><em><span>Download the 9NEWS App here via</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/9news/id1010533727" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Apple</span></em></strong></a><span> </span><strong><em><span>and</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nineNewsAlerts.nine.com&amp;hl=en_AU&amp;pli=1" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Google Play</span></em></strong></a></li><li><strong><em><span>Make 9News your preferred source on Google by</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=9news.com.au" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>ticking this box here</span></em></strong></a></li><li><strong><em><span>Sign up to</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://login.nine.com.au/edm?client_id=nineatnine" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>our breaking newsletter here</span></em></strong></a></li></ul></div></div>