How to Vote and Pre-polling venues

THE SENATE polling

Senate ballot papers are white in colour and have a huge number of groups and candidates on them. Half the seats in the Senate are up for election, in NSW this means six vacancies need to be filled.

On the white Senate ballot paper, you need to either:

• number at least six boxes above the line for the parties or groups of your choice, or

• the number at least 12 boxes below the line for individual candidates of your choice.

Polling officials at the polling place are available to assist voters in completing their ballot paper. If you make a mistake on a ballot paper you may return it to the polling official who issued it and receive a fresh one.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Voting in the House of Representatives is on a Green Ballot paper.

To vote for a Member of the House of Representatives, you are required to write the number ‘1’ in the box next to the candidate who is your first choice, and the numbers ‘2’, ‘3’ and so on against all the other candidates until all the boxes have been numbered, in order of your preference.

Ballot papers must be marked according to the rules for voting so that they do not create informal votes. Ballot papers cannot be counted if they are informal.

Polling officials at the polling place are available to assist voters in completing their ballot papers. If you make a mistake on a ballot paper you may return it to the polling official who issued it and receive a fresh one.

A House of Representatives ballot paper is informal if:

• it is blank or unmarked,

• ticks or crosses have been used,

• it has writing on it which identifies the voter,

• a number is repeated,

• the voter’s intention is not clear, or

• it has not received the official mark of the presiding officer and is not considered authentic.

Pre-poll-Voting begins on Monday 9th May in each electorate. To find out more visit aec.gov.au or call the Australian Electoral Commission on 13 23 26.

 

Macquarie: Pre-polling isavailable at:

Richmond School of Arts 26 W Market St Richmond.

Deerubbin Centre, 300 George St Windsor

Times: Mon 9 May – Friday 13th May 8:30am–5:30pm; Sat 14th May 9am–4pm; Mon 16th May – Thu 19th May 8:30am–5:30pm; Fri 20th May 8:30am–6pm.

Mitchell/Berowra: Pre-polling is available at:

2 Solent Circuit Norwest.

Times: Mon 9th May – Fri 13th May 8am–8pm; Saturday 14th May, 9am–4pm; Mon 16th May – Thu 19th May 8am–8pm; Fri 20th May – Sat 21st May 8am–6pm

1st Cherrybrook Scout Hall, Appletree Drive Cherrybrook

Times: Mon 9th May – Fri 13th May 8:30am–5:30pm; Sat 14th May 9am–4pm; Mon 16th May – Thu 19th May 8:30am–5:30pm; Fri 20th May 8:30am–6pm.

Greenway: pre-polling is available at:

Blacktown Leisure Centre, Stanhope Gardens

Mon 9 May – Fri 13 May

8am–8pm

Sat 14 May

9am–4pm

Mon 16 May – Thu 19 May

8am–8pm

Fri 20 May

8am–6pm