REFERENDUMS ACT 1998

Table of Provisions

PART 1--PRELIMINARY

• 1 Short title  
• 2 Definitions  
--Divisional Returning Officer has the same meaning as in the Northern Territory Electoral Act 1995.
• 3 Delegation  
• 4 Matters that can be subject of referendum  

PART 2--WRIT FOR REFERENDUM

• 5 Resolution of Legislative Assembly  
• 6 Issue of writ for referendum  
• 7 Form and content of writ for referendum  
• 8 Referendum to be conducted  
• 9 Chief electoral officer to publish writ and prepare for referendum  
• 10 Distribution to electors of arguments for and against question  

PART 3--CONDUCT OF REFERENDUM

Division 1--Rolls for referendum

• 11 Printing of rolls  
• 12 Alteration of rolls  

Division 2--Polling places, mobile polling teams, officers and Scrutineers

• 13 Polling places  
• 14 Mobile polling teams  
• 15 Public notice of polling places and mobile polling teams  
• 16 Presiding officers and mobile team leaders  
• 17 Scrutineers  
• 18 Certified list of voters  

Division 3--Polling booths, ballot-boxes and ballot-papers

• 19 Separate voting booths  
• 20 Ballot-boxes  
• 21 Ballot-papers  

Division 4--Mobile polling

• 22 Mobile polling  
• 23 Voting at certain polling places may be restricted to class of voters  
• 24 Places and hours of use of mobile polling team  

Division 5--Pre-poll voting and postal voting

• 25 Pre-poll voting  
• 26 Postal voting  

Division 6--Voting on polling day

• 27 Polling  
• 28 Persons entitled to vote  
• 29 Ballot-boxes to be exhibited empty before polling  
• 30 Name to be on roll  
• 31 Persons claiming to vote to give names and other particulars  
• 32 Record of objections  
• 33 Ballot-papers to be initialled  
• 34 Vote to be marked in private  
• 35 Assistance of certain persons  
• 36 Vote of unlisted persons  
• 37 Method of voting  
• 38 Spoilt or discarded ballot-papers  
• 39 Adjournment of polling  
• 40 Direction to leave polling place  
• 41 Marking of ballot-papers  
• 42 Employee wishing to vote  
• 43 Ballot-boxes to be secured at close of polling  

Division 7--Offences relating to polling

• 44 Persons present at polling  
• 45 Electors must vote  
• 46 Person may vote only once  
• 47 Offences in relation to ballot-papers and at polling places  

PART 4--DETERMINATION OF RESULTS OF POLLING

• 48 Definition  
• 49 Determination  
• 50 Informal ballot-papers  
• 51 Proceedings at determination  
• 52 Conduct of determination  
• 53 Objections by scrutineers  
• 54 Determination of votes  
• 55 Action after determination of referendum  
• 56 Disregarding certain votes  
• 57 Re-count  
• 58 Applicable provisions for re-count  
• 59 Referral of questions  
• 60 Return of writ for referendum  

PART 5--DISPUTED REFERENDUM

• 61 Referendum Tribunal  
• 62 Method of disputing validity of referendum  
• 63 Persons to be served  
• 64 No proceedings unless requisites complied with  
• 65 Hearings of Tribunal  
• 66 Powers of Tribunal  
• 67 Inquiries by Tribunal  
• 68 Exercise of powers  
• 69 Reporting of offences  
• 70 Tribunal may have regard to certain rejected ballot-papers  
• 71 Immaterial errors not to vitiate referendum  
• 72 No appeal  
• 73 Clerk of Legislative Assembly to receive copy of petition and decision  
• 74 Representation at hearing  
• 75 Costs  
• 76 Rules of Tribunal  

PART 6--OFFENCES

• 77 Exemption of public policy statements  
• 78 Printing of advertisements  
• 79 Heading of advertisements  
• 80 Articles to be signed  
• 81 Broadcasting of advertisements  
• 82 Untrue statements  
• 83 Signature to papers  
• 84 Witnesses to papers  
• 85 Canvassing near polling places prohibited  
• 86 Making unauthorised marks  
• 87 Forged documents  
• 88 Influencing officer  

PART 7--MISCELLANEOUS

• 89 Referendum at same time as election  
• 90 Extension of time  
• 91 Averments  
• 92 Regulatory offences  
• 93 Prosecutions not to be brought after 12 months  
• 94 Disclosure of information  
• 95 Protection of officers  
• 96 Destruction of ballot-papers  
• 97 Regulations  
• SCHEDULE
ENDNOTES