Northern Territory Consolidated Acts

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