Who? Everyone over 18 on the rolls must vote tomorrow. Where? You can vote at any polling place in the ACT and Bateman’s Bay, irrespective of which electorate you are enrolled in. A full list is on Page ….. When? Polling booths are open from 8am to 6pm. What? You are voting for 17 Members of the ACT Legislative Assembly. Five will be elected for the Belconnen-based electorate of Ginninderra, five for Tuggeranong-based Brindabella and seven for the central-based Molonglo.
You will also be voting in a referendum to entrench the Hare-Clark voting system. This system was approved by 65 per cent of voters at an advisory referendum in 1992. Tomorrow’s referendum is to ensure that only a two-thirds majority of the Assembly or a further referendum can change it or replace it with another system. How. In the referendum you must write the word “”Yes” or “”No”. In the election for Member you must use numbers. Do not use ticks or crosses anywhere on either ballot paper.
In the election for members in Ginninderra and Brindabella you must make at least five preferences by numbering in order of preference 1 to 5. In Molonglo you must mark seven preferences. You may mark as many further preferences as you wish. If you want a full say in your new Assembly’s make-up it is advisable to mark more preferences because it is highly likely that preferences from major parties will determine which minor parties and independents get elected. Because they are multi-member electorates, even the preferences of candidates who get elected are transferred and used to help other candidates. You do not have to keep your preferences within a party box. You may vote across the paper. For example, you could give a Labor candidate first preference, Liberal second preference, Independent third, Liberal fourth, Labor fifth, and so on.
The order in the party box has been randomised. The party does not determine the order that candidates appear in the party column. For example, some ballot papers have been printed with Gary Humphries at the top of the Liberal column with Kate Carnell second, Gwen Wilcox third and so on. Other ballot papers have been printed with Wilcox first, Humphries second and Carnell third. And still others have Carnell first, Wilcox second and Humphries third. It is up to the voter to determine the order they want to place the candidates. This is called Robson rotation. A more detailed look at the Hare-Clark system and how it is counted is on Page …….