1920 Ballaarat by-election

1920 Ballaarat by-election

←  1919 10 July 1920 1922  →
Division of Ballaarat in the House of Representatives
Turnout	76.7% ( 5.8)
First party Second party   Candidate Charles McGrath Edwin Kerby Party Labor Nationalist Primary  vote 15,058 11,443 Percentage 51.7% 39.3% Swing 1.7pp 10.7 TPP 56.1% 43.9% TPP swing 6.1 6.1
MP before election Edwin Kerby Nationalist Elected MP Charles McGrath Labor

The 1920 Ballaarat by-election was held on 10 July 1920 to elect the member for Ballaarat in the Australian House of Representatives. ^{[1] [2]}

At the 1919 federal election, Nationalist candidate Edwin Kerby defeated the sitting Labor MP Charles McGrath by a single vote, the narrowest margin in Australian electoral history. ^[3] McGrath challenged the result successfully on the grounds of electoral irregularities, triggering the by-election, at which McGrath was victorious. ^[4]

Results

1920 Ballaarat by-election ^[5]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Charles McGrath	15,058	51.7	+1.7
	Nationalist	Edwin Kerby	11,443	39.3	−10.7
	Farmers	John Troup	2,413	8.3	+8.3
	Independent	Edward Callow	186	0.6	+0.6
Total formal votes			29,100	99.3
Informal votes			214	0.7
Turnout			29,314	76.7	−5.8
Two-party-preferred result
	Labor	Charles McGrath		56.1	+6.1
	Nationalist	Edwin Kerby		43.9	−6.1
	Labor gain from Nationalist		Swing	+6.1

See also

• Electoral results for the Division of Ballaarat

References

1. "BALLARAT BY-ELECTION". Barrier Miner. 8 July 1920. p. 2. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
2. "Labor majority increases". The Horsham Times. 16 July 1920. p. 5. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
3. Rhodes, Campbell (1 December 2017). "Eight by-elections that changed the game". Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House. Archived from the original on 28 April 2025. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
4. "House of Representatives Members – 8th Parliament 1919-1922". AustralianPolitics.com. Archived from the original on 19 April 2025. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
5. "BY-ELECTIONS 1919-22". Psephos: Adam Carr's Electoral Archive. Archived from the original on 16 May 2024. Retrieved 23 May 2025.