While the Eden-Monaro by-election result almost mirrored that of last year's general election, Labor has seen positive swings at many Bega Valley booths.
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The much-talked about personal vote drawn by retired Labor MP Mike Kelly appears to have not been a factor in an electorate hit with the impacts of drought, bushfires and a global pandemic.
On a two-party-preferred basis Labor lost just 0.8 per cent of the vote following Dr Kelly's forced early retirement.
More than five per cent more voters put a minor party or independent as their first preference this year, with just 765 votes dividing the majors on a two-party-preferred basis on Tuesday.
Including pre-poll booths, Labor improved on their result in Merimbula and Bega, with a swing of almost six per cent in Merimbula.
Labor candidate Kristy McBain saw a swing of 6.47 per cent in her local Tura Beach booth, claiming 51.77 per cent of the vote, and she also saw a swing in Tathra of almost eight per cent.
A difference can be seen in the bushfire hit towns of Cobargo, Quaama, Brogo and Bemboka in the north, where Labor saw positive swings at each booth except Cobargo, which saw Liberal candidate Fiona Kotvojs', who lives in nearby Dignams Creek, claim a swing of almost seven per cent.
In the south, while Labor saw a swing of 8.32 per cent at bushfire hit Towamba, a swing of just 1.74 per cent in Eden wasn't enough for the party to claim the booth from the Liberal Party.
Labor saw a swing of almost seven per cent in the Liberal Party stronghold of Delegate, while the Liberals saw a swing of almost 10 per cent in Labor-held Central Tilba.
Labor again claimed the booths of Candelo, Wolumla and Bermagui, while in Narooma, they lost 1.37 per cent of the vote to finish with 49.28 per cent.
Labor saw a swing of 3.41 per cent in Wolumla, a town heavily threatened by summer bushfires.
The party claimed their highest vote share in the small booths of Wyndham and Tanja, while Dr Kotvojs' largest vote share was 72.43 per cent in Adaminiby.
Compared to last year, 17,315 less enrolled voters hit the polling booths on Saturday.
