TONY Windsor has all but conceded that he has lost the battle for New England.
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Surrounded by his family and a crowd of supporters, Mr Windsor believed Barnaby Joyce was most likely to be re elected, with more than 50 per cent of the primary vote, however about 30,000 pre poll votes still to be counted could bring the result down to the wire.
"What we've been told is the pre poll votes in Armidale and Tamworth won't be counted until tomorrow and that's a significant number in both towns," Mr Windsor said.
'"There's something like 28,000 votes out there and there's a whole range of booths that haven't been declared yet.
"What I would say is the way in which the numbers are crunching at the moment, It's much more in favour to Mr Joyce than it is with me. I think it is too early to call because there are a number of factors that are still in play.
Mr Windsor said the numbers were in his favour in Tamworth and Armidale and he hoped the pre polling votes would swing the same way.
"We have won most of the Tamworth booths and on our reconciliation we have won most of the Armidale booths,"The Independent candidate said.
"Depending how the numbers crunch on the pre poll booths, there could be a significant shift in the primaries and if that was the case there could be a reconciliation required in terms of preferences.
"It has been an extraordinary campaign."
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