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Marking Ballot Papers Correctly
How to mark your Legislative Assembly Ballot Papers
How to mark you Legislative Council Ballot Papers
Informal Votes
How to Mark Your Legislative Assembly Ballot Paper
On this white Legislative Assembly ballot paper, you must fill in all boxes.
1. Clearly write the number '1' in the box next to the candidate or party of your first choice.
2. Write number '2' in the box next to the candidate or party of your second choice.
3. Continue to number all the boxes until there is a different number in every box. the order of preference
If a ballot paper is not marked in this way, but clearly indicates the voter's intention with respect to the order of preference for at least the most preferred candidate, the ballot paper may also be formal.
How to Mark Your Legislative Council Ballot Paper
For the pink Legislative Council ballot paper you have a choice. You can vote by marking your ballot paper either on the left side or on the right side - but not both.
Either: The left side
If you choose to vote using the left side, (ticket vote side), write the number '1' in one of the boxes to vote according to the candidate or political party of your choice. Leave all other boxes blank.
By doing this, your preferences will be distributed according to those of the party or group you vote for. You can check these preferences in newspaper advertisements, at all polling places or on our website.
Or: The right side
If you choose to vote using the right side, (candidate preference vote side), fill in all the boxes, in the section of the ballot paper in the order of your choice. Write the number '1' in the box next to the candidate of your first choice. Write number '2' in the box next to the candidate of your second choice. Continue to number all the boxes in the order of your choice until there is a different number in every box. By doing this, your preferences will be distributed exactly as you have chosen.
A ticket vote is formal if only one square is marked with the number 1 or with a tick or a cross. A candidate preference vote is formal when all squares have been marked with consecutive numbers. If both sides have been completed, the candidate preference side is counted, provided it is formal. However, where both sides are completed and one side is informal, the formal side is counted.
Informal votes
Ballot papers are informal if they:
- are blank;
- do not show preferences according to instructions or legislative requirements;
- do not make the voter's intention clear;
- are marked in a way which identifies the voter.
Informal ballot papers do not contribute to the election of a candidate and are not included in calculating the quota or the absolute majority required for election.
If a ballot paper is not marked correctly but gives a clear indication of the voter's intention as to the order of preferences the ballot paper may be formal. It is the Returning Officer's responsibility to decide whether the elector has sufficiently shown his or her intention, and whether a ballot paper is formal or informal.
