2021 Alice Springs Town Council election
28 August 2021
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All 9 seats on the Alice Springs Town Council | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Registered | 15,756 ( 9.9) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Mayor | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This lists parties that won seats. See the complete results below. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The 2021 Alice Springs Town Council election were held on 28 August 2021 to elect a mayor and eight councillors to the Town of Alice Springs.[1] The election was held as part of the local government elections held throughout the Northern Territory.[2][3]
Matt Paterson was elected mayor with a two-candidate-preferred margin of just two votes.[4] It was the closest-ever result in an election conducted by the Northern Territory Electoral Commission (NTEC).[5]
Background
Ahead of the 2020 Northern Territory general election, three Alice Springs councillors - Marli Banks, Eli Melky and Catherine Satour - joined the Australian Federation Party, with Melky as the party's NT leader.[6] However, all three left the party by the time of the 2021 local elections.[3]
Additionally, Matt Paterson was a Territory Alliance candidate, however he left the party around the time it dissolved following the 2020 election.[3]
Results
Mayor
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent | Jimmy Cocking | 3,101 | 31.7 | −3.0 | |
| Independent | Matt Paterson | 2,418 | 24.7 | +24.7 | |
| Independent | Eli Melky | 1,959 | 20.0 | +20.0 | |
| Independent | Marli Banks | 695 | 7.1 | +7.1 | |
| Independent CLP | Steve Brown | 559 | 5.7 | +5.7 | |
| Independent | Blair McFarland | 356 | 3.6 | +3.6 | |
| Independent | Aaron Blacker | 346 | 3.5 | +3.5 | |
| Independent | Patrick Bedford | 240 | 2.5 | +2.5 | |
| Independent | Wayne Wright | 63 | 0.6 | +0.6 | |
| Independent | Angus McIvor | 49 | 0.5 | +0.5 | |
| Total formal votes | 9,786 | 95.6 | −4.1 | ||
| Informal votes | 454 | 4.4 | +4.1 | ||
| Turnout | 10,240 | 65.0 | −3.9 | ||
| Two-candidate-preferred result | |||||
| Independent | Matt Paterson | 4,894 | 50.01 | +50.01 | |
| Independent | Jimmy Cocking | 4,892 | 49.99 | +15.31 | |
| Matt Paterson gain from Independent CLP | |||||
Councillors
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent | Jimmy Cocking (elected 1) | 2,595 | 28.1 | +12.0 | |
| Independent | Eli Melky (elected 2) | 1,366 | 14.8 | +6.0 | |
| Independent | Mark Coffey (elected 3) | 1,089 | 11.8 | +11.8 | |
| Independent | Marli Banks (elected 4) | 487 | 5.3 | +2.1 | |
| Independent CLP | Steve Brown (elected 5) | 473 | 5.1 | +5.1 | |
| Greens | Emily Webster | 436 | 4.7 | +4.7 | |
| Independent | Michael Liddle (elected 8) | 425 | 4.6 | +4.6 | |
| Independent Labor | Allison Bitar (elected 7) | 385 | 4.2 | +4.2 | |
| Independent | Kim Hopper (elected 6) | 372 | 4.0 | +4.0 | |
| Independent CLP | Sean Heenan | 347 | 3.8 | +3.8 | |
| Independent | Aaron Blacker | 336 | 3.6 | +3.6 | |
| Independent | Catherine Satour | 326 | 3.5 | +0.9 | |
| Independent | Darren Burton | 240 | 2.6 | +2.6 | |
| Independent | Patrick Bedford | 229 | 2.5 | +2.5 | |
| Independent | James Dash | 48 | 0.5 | +0.5 | |
| Independent | Wayne Wright | 48 | 0.5 | +0.5 | |
| Independent | Angus McIvor | 44 | 0.5 | +0.5 | |
| Total formal votes | 9,246 | 90.1 | +1.8 | ||
| Informal votes | 1,015 | 9.9 | −1.8 | ||
| Turnout | 10,261 | 58.68 | −12.32 | ||
Aftermath
The mayoral election was decided by just two votes, the closest result that Northern Territory Electoral Commissioner Iain Loganathan said he had ever seen.[9]
Unsuccessful candidate Jimmy Cocking requested a new recount, but it was rejected by the Northern Territory Civil and Administrative Tribunal in October 2021.[10]
References
- ^ "2021 Local Government Elections - Alice Springs Town Council report" (PDF). Northern Territory Electoral Commission. 12 April 2022. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 April 2025. Retrieved 27 June 2025.
- ^ "Results". Northern Territory Electoral Commission. Archived from the original on 6 January 2024.
- ^ a b c "Alice Springs Election 2021: Meet the candidates running for mayor". ABC News.
- ^ "Alice Springs Mayor's Two Vote Victory shows why Scrutineers Matter". Antony Green's Election Blog. 21 October 2021. Archived from the original on 21 June 2024. Retrieved 27 June 2025.
- ^ "2021 Local Government Elections Report" (PDF). Northern Territory Electoral Commission. 2024. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 April 2025. Retrieved 26 June 2025.
- ^ "Federation Party NT names Central Australia candidates, two Alice town councillors in the mix". NT Independent.
- ^ "Alice Springs - Mayor". Northern Territory Electoral Commission.
- ^ "Alice Springs - Councillor". Northern Territory Electoral Commission.
- ^ "Two votes decide Alice Springs mayoral race". ABC News.
- ^ "NTCAT rejects Jimmy Cocking's bid for new recount of Alice Springs mayoral vote". ABC News.