Businessman Clive Palmer wants the High Court to delay the publication of federal election results in eastern states until the close of polls in Western Australia and the Northern Territory.
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Mr Palmer, who is running a team of candidates under the United Australia Party banner, says the current system favours major parties and is misleading for voters.
The Australian Electoral Commission puts on its website an indicative, two-candidate preferred count of votes as they are counted.
The two candidates listed are almost inevitably Liberal-National and Labor, not candidates from minor parties or independents.
Mr Palmer said, given the time differences in WA and the NT, this gave the appearance the AEC was "biased by determining the two most likely candidates and can cause misleading information to be delivered to voters while polls are still open across Australia".
The AEC's early two-candidate preferred results in the Queensland seat of Fairfax, where Mr Palmer stood in 2013, did not include his name but he went on to win the seat.
Mr Palmer is seeking a court order to ban the AEC from making the information available until after 9pm (AEST), once the polls in all seats around Australia have closed.
The court has set down a directions hearing on Friday, with Mr Palmer's lawyers appearing in Sydney and Solicitor-General Stephen Donaghue in Canberra.
Australian Associated Press
