A by-election for the electoral division of Nightcliff in the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly was held on 7 March 2026, following the resignation of Greens MLA Kat McNamara. The by-election was won by Ed Smelt for the Labor Party. The election was a setback for the Greens as they lost the only seat they held in the assembly.
Background McNamara resigned from the NT Legislative Assembly on 9 February 2026 citing "ongoing health challenges". They were the first Greens MLA in the NT, winning election in 2024 by just 36 votes.
2024 results
Key dates Issue of writ — 12 February 2026 Nominations open — 12 February 2026 Electoral roll closes — 13 February 2026; 5 pm Nominations close — 19 February 2026; 12 pm Declaration of nominations and ballot draw — 13 February 2026; 1 pm Postal vote mail-out commences — 23 February 2026 Early voting begins — 23 February 2026 Mobile voting begins — 23 February 2026 Overseas postal voting despatch closes — 3 March 2026; 5 pm All postal voting despatch closes — 5 March 2026; 5 pm Early voting closes — 6 March 2026; 6 pm Election day — 7 March 2026 Election day voting closes — 7 March 2026; 6 pm Mobile voting closes — 7 March 2026; 5 pm Count begins — 7 March 2026; 5 pm Recheck of counts — 9 March 2026; 9 am Verification of declaration votes — 9 March 2026; 9 am Postal votes count begins — 9 March 2026; 9 am Postal vote deadline — 20 March 2026; 12 pm Final distribution of preferences — 20 March 2026; 12 pm Results declared — 23 March 2026; 10 am Return of writ — 13 April 2026 Last day to dispute validity of election — 4 May 2026
Candidates On 11 February 2026, the Greens announced Suki Dorras-Walker as their candidate for the by-election. She had formerly contested the seat of Fannie Bay at the 2024 election and is a former teacher. The following day, the Labor Party announced Darwin councillor Ed Smelt as their candidate.
The Country Liberal Party confirmed Anjan Paudel as their candidate. Phil Scott, who was associated with the Voices of the Top End group and who stood for the Division of Solomon at the 2025 federal election, stated that he would run as an independent candidate.
Results
Results by polling place First preference results by polling place Polling place Greens ALP CLP Phil Scott Formal Informal Turnout Votes % Votes % Votes % Votes % Votes % Votes % Total % Nightcliff pre-poll 812 31.8 749 29.3 547 21.4 448 17.5 2,556 97.4 68 2.6 2,624 67.1 Nightcliff 334 37.4 248 27.8 167 18.7 143 16.0 892 98.3 15 1.7 907 23.2 Urban Voting Darwin 9 28.1 10 31.3 4 12.5 9 28.1 32 100.0 0 0.0 32 0.8 Postal 143 41.3 88 25.4 47 13.6 68 19.7 346 98.9 4 1.1 350 8.9
Two candidate preferred results by polling place Polling place Greens Labor Formal Votes % Votes % Total % Nightcliff pre-poll 1,192 46.6 1,364 53.4 2,556 97.5 Nightcliff 451 50.6 441 49.4 892 98.3 Urban Voting Darwin 12 37.5 20 62.5 32 100.0 Postal 198 57.2 148 42.8 346 98.9
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