Queensland Consolidated Acts

CONSTITUTION OF QUEENSLAND 2001 - SECT 19B

19B Polling day for ordinary general election

(1) The
"normal polling day" for an ordinary general election is the last Saturday in October in the following year—

(a) if the last general election was an ordinary general election—the fourth calendar year after the calendar year in which the last general election was held;

(b) if the last general election was an extraordinary general election—the third calendar year after the calendar year in which the last general election was held.

(2) Each ordinary general election must be held on the normal polling day unless the Governor orders a postponement under subsection (3) .

(3) The Governor may at any time, by proclamation, order the polling day for an ordinary general election to be postponed to a Saturday not more than 35 days after the normal polling day (the
"postponed polling day" ) if—

(a) there are exceptional circumstances; and

Examples of exceptional circumstances—

1 An election for members of the House of Representatives or the Senate of the Commonwealth Parliament is to be held on the normal polling day.

2 A natural disaster has affected such a wide area of the State that the conduct of an election on the normal polling day would be impracticable.

(b) the Premier recommends, and the Leader of the Opposition agrees to, the postponement.

(4) For the purpose of deciding the postponed polling day under subsection (3) , the stated number of days includes—

(a) the normal polling day; and

(b) the postponed polling day itself.

(5) Subsection (3) does not affect the operation of any provision of another Act about adjourning a poll at a place because of an emergency.