Morrison secures 76 seats for majority

The latest Australian Electoral Commission figures for the federal election show the coalition on track to hold 78 seats in the 151-seat lower house.

Ballot boxes in north Bondi in the electorate of Wentworth.

Vote counting continues with Prime Minister Scott Morrison expected to form a majority government. (AAP)

Prime Minister Scott Morrison will have the 76 seats he needs to govern in majority, but could have up to two more.

The Australian Electoral Commission took the Victorian seat of Chisholm off the "close seats" list on Tuesday afternoon, as Liberal candidate Gladys Liu gained ground.

She now holds 50.6 per cent of the vote, ahead of Labor's Jennifer Yang, as postal vote counting continues.

If the current count trends continue, the Liberal-National coalition will have 78 seats, with Labor on 67 and six crossbenchers.

There are now only two close seats listed on the AEC website.

The Liberals' Sarah Richards is ahead of Labor MP Susan Templeman in Macquarie, with the AEC website showing just 51 votes separating the pair.

In Bass, the Liberals' Bridget Archer sits on 50.4 per cent of the two-party vote, ahead of incumbent Labor MP Ross Hart.

Postal votes are being counted in all 151 seats.

The election writ must be returned by June 28.

In the previous parliament, the coalition had 74 seats, Labor had 69, there were four independents and the Greens, Centre Alliance and Katter's Australian Party had one each.


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Source: AAP


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