The New South Wales Liberal party will launch a court challenge after losing the Sydney seat of Bradfield, asking a judge to recount some of the ballots that led to independent Nicolette Boele’s 26-vote margin. The Australian Electoral Commission initially said Kapterian won on the first distribution of preferences by eight votes, before a recount was ordered. Bradfield was the last outstanding seat from the 3 May election and the Liberals kept open the possibility of a challenge in the court of disputed returns. A federal court judge said the AEC had wrongly counted nine votes that should have been found to be informal. Within 40 days of the election writ being returned, any candidate or elector from the seat can “petition” its result.