How disendorsed Labor candidate Luke Creasey could still be elected

Earlier today, Labor candidate for Melbourne, Luke Creasey, quit the party after backlash over offensive social media posts he made in 2012.

He was the third Victorian candidate endorsed by a major party to resign over online comments this week.

Liberal candidate for Wills, Peter Killin, and Liberal candidate for Isaacs, Jeremy Hearn, both resigned from the party on Wednesday after offensive online posts made by them came to light.

The disendorsements come too late for new ballot papers to be printed, and over 200,000 Victorians have already voted in the election.

3AW’s Tom Elliott questioned what that means for election results.

“There’s no change,” Australian Electoral Commission Officer Steve Kennedy told the 3AW Drive host.

He said Mr Creasey’s name will still appear on ballot papers.

“We’re not committed by law to change the ballot paper.

“His name still appears on the ballot paper, and it will still appear with Labor underneath it. That won’t change,” he said.

It’s still possible that Mr Creasey could be elected to parliament.

“If he was duly elected he is entitled to take up his place in the Australian parliament,” Mr Kennedy said.

“We know in the past some candidates have been elected while endorsed by a party and soon after taking their seat in parliament they have resigned from that party and become independent.

“Whatever they [the candidates] and the party decide to do is totally up to them,” he said.

Press PLAY below to hear Australian Electoral Commission Officer Steve Kennedy on 3AW Drive.