Glossary

GLOSSARY - D

Declaration of the Poll

Official announcement of the results of voting at an election or referendum by a Returning Officer.

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Declared Institution

An institution such as a hospital or nursing home, which is gazetted as a declared institution and visited by polling officials for the purpose of taking votes from patients, residents or inmates.

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Distribution

The review and redrawing of electoral boundaries. For State elections in Western Australia it is conducted every four years by the Electoral Distribution Commissioners in accordance with the provisions of the Electoral Distribution Act 1947. Schedule 2.1 of the Local Government Act 1995 also provides for the review of Local Government boundaries.

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District (Local Government)

A Local Government City, Shire or Town is also referred to as a district.

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District (State)

The State of Western Australia is divided into 59 electoral districts. For each of these districts one member is elected to the Legislative Assembly.

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Donkey Vote

The preferential system of voting requires the voter to number the ballot paper boxes using consecutive numbers. A donkey vote is a term used to describe the manifest allocation of these numbers from top to bottom without due reference to the candidates.

The marking of boxes on the ballot paper with 1, 2, 3 etc, in consecutive order from the top of the ballot paper to the bottom may of course genuinely reflect a voter's choice. Invariably, however, such markings are generally perceived as a donkey vote by observers unless there is evidence to the contrary.

Nevertheless, a ballot paper marked in this way is a formal vote and as such the top position on a ballot paper is considered to be advantageous as it obtains first preference in a donkey vote.

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