Northern Territory Consolidated Regulations

LOCAL GOVERNMENT (ELECTORAL) REGULATIONS 2021

TABLE OF PROVISIONS

   PART 1--PRELIMINARY MATTERS

   1.      Title  
   2.      Commencement  
   3.      Definitions  
   4.      Voting period  
   5.      Authorised officers  

   PART 2--PREPARATIONS FOR AN ELECTION

           Division 1--Nominations

   6.      Returning officer to invite nominations of candidates  
   7.      Form of nomination  
   8.      Making and withdrawal of nomination  
   9.      Rejection of nomination  
   10.     Declaration of duly nominated candidates and determination of order of names on ballot paper  

           Division 2--Electoral roll

   11.     Closing of electoral roll  

           Division 3--Ballot papers

   12.     Form of ballot paper  

           Division 4--Administrative arrangements

   13.     Administrative arrangements  
   14.     Voting centres  

           Division 5--Scrutineers

   15.     Scrutineers – appointment  
   16.     Scrutineers – presence at voting centre and scrutiny centre  

   PART 3--VOTING

           Division 1--Entitlement to vote and other preliminary matters

   17.     Entitlement to vote  
   18.     Method of voting  
   19.     Voter's question  

           Division 2--Ordinary voting at voting centre

   20.     Issue of ballot paper  
   21.     Voting in private  

           Division 3--Declaration voting

   22.     Right to declaration voting  
   23.     Issue of ballot paper for declaration voting  
   24.     Casting declaration vote  

           Division 4--Optional postal voting

   25.     Application of Division  
   26.     Application for postal voting papers  
   27.     Application for replacement postal voting papers  
   28.     Issue of postal voting papers  
   29.     Records of applications for, and issue of, postal voting papers  
   30.     Applications to be available for public inspection  
   31.     Casting postal vote  

           Division 5--Mandatory postal vote elections

   32.     Application of Division  
   33.     Definition  
   34.     Public notice of election  
   35.     Lodgement of candidate statement  
   36.     Lodgement of indication of preferences  
   37.     Application for postal voting papers  
   38.     Application for replacement postal voting papers  
   39.     Issue of postal voting papers  
   40.     Records of issue of postal voting papers  
   41.     Applications to be available for public inspection  
   42.     Casting postal vote  

           Division 6--Mobile voting

   43.     Application of Division  
   44.     Mobile voting centre  
   45.     Change of mobile voting centre, dates or hours for voting  
   46.     Authorised officers to be present during voting  
   47.     Voting at mobile voting centre  
   48.     Dealing with ballot boxes  

           Division 7--Miscellaneous

   49.     Voting times  
   50.     Assistance to certain persons  
   51.     Assistance to persons unable to enter voting centre  
   52.     Spoilt or discarded ballot paper  
   53.     Dealing with ballot boxes and electoral papers  
   54.     Adjournment of voting  
   55.     Employee wishing to vote  

   PART 4--SCRUTINY

           Division 1--Preliminary

   56.     How scrutiny carried out  

           Division 2--Formality of ballot papers and related matters

   57.     Informal ballot paper  
   58.     Postal and declaration voting papers to be rejected on basis of time or manner of receipt  
   59.     Rejection of informal ballot papers  
   60.     Objections by candidate's scrutineer  
   61.     Dealing with certain votes cast by absent voters  

           Division 3--Ordinary votes

   62.     Examination of voting papers for certain ordinary votes  

           Division 4--Declaration votes

   63.     Examination of voting papers for declaration voting  

           Division 5--Postal votes

   64.     Receipt of postal voting papers  
   65.     Scrutiny of postal voting papers  

           Division 6--Determining and declaring result of election

   66.     Determination of result of election  
   67.     Election of principal member of council  
   68.     Election of ordinary member of council  
   69.     Death of candidate – election of ordinary members  
   70.     Recount  
   71.     Declaration of result of election  

           Division 7--Miscellaneous

   72.     Extension or change of time  
   73.     New election on failure of election  

   PART 5--ELECTORAL OFFENCES

   74.     Dishonesty  
   75.     Interference with electoral materials  
   76.     Duty of those who assist voters  
   77.     Conduct at voting centre  

   PART 6--INFRINGEMENT NOTICE OFFENCES

   78.     Infringement notice offence and prescribed amount payable  
   79.     When infringement notice may be given  
   80.     Contents of infringement notice  
   81.     Expiation of offence  
   82.     Electronic payment and payment by cheque  
   83.     Withdrawal of infringement notice  
   84.     How service effected  
   85.     Application of Part  

   PART 7--MISCELLANEOUS

   86.     Electoral Commissioner's power to approve electronic or other automated systems  
   87.     Electoral costs and expenses  
   88.     Contravention of Part 4, Division 6  
   89.     Contravention of regulations – returning officer  
   90.     Contravention of regulations – authorised officer or employee  
   91.     Storage and destruction of electoral papers  
           SCHEDULE 1
           SCHEDULE 2
           ENDNOTES