ELECTORAL AND REFERENDUM REGULATIONS (AMENDMENT) 1993 NO. 28

ELECTORAL AND REFERENDUM REGULATIONS (AMENDMENT) 1993 NO. 28

Statutory Rules 1993 No. 28

Issued by the authority of the Minister of Administrative Services

Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918

Electoral and Referendum Regulations (Amendment)

Section 392 of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 provides that the Governor-General may make regulations to alter the Forms in Schedule 1 of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918.

Division 1 of Part III of the Electoral and Referendum Regulations makes provision for the conduct of elections and referendums.

Form F of Schedule 1 of the Act prescribes the form and layout of the House of Representatives ballot paper. The names of the candidates must be printed in a single column.

In the event that an exceptionally large number of candidates nominate for a Division in a House of Representatives election the ballot paper would have to be printed as a single column in a long strip: for 100 candidates, for example, the ballot paper would be about a metre long. This would provide difficulties for the printing process, for the voter in marking his or her ballot paper, and for the scrutiny process.

The Regulations provide that if more than 30 candidates nominate for a Division then the House of Representatives ballot paper must be printed in more than one column.

The Regulations commence on gazettal.