Briefing Session for Intending Candidates

November 2014 Council Elections

Topics include• the election timetable • who is eligible to be a candidate • nomination procedures• the publication of electoral

material, • illegal practices and complaints

Other Topics• the mail-out and return of voting

material• the appointment of scrutineers • arrangements for the scrutiny and

count • the vote counting system• results and candidate returns

Election Timetable• roll close

Friday 8 August 2014

• nominations period Tuesday 2 September – noon, Tuesday 16 September

2014

• mail-out of voting materialMonday 20 - Friday 24 October 2014

• close of votingFriday 5pm 7 November 2014

• scrutiny and count from 9am Saturday 8 November 2014

Who can nominate?• Australian citizen or• anyone on council between 5 May

1997 and 1 January 2000

and are• an elector for the area or• designated person of a body corporate

or group named on council voters roll or

• person or designated person of body corporate or group whose name omitted from roll in error

Page 10 of the Candidate Handbook

Who cannot nominate?• a member of an Australian Parliament • a member of council staff • an undischarged bankrupt or person

benefiting from insolvent debtor legislation

• a person sentenced to imprisonment and is likely to serve the sentence or remainder of the sentence

Page 10 of the Candidate Handbook

Nominations• close 12 noon 16 September 2014 • 3 different nomination forms

– LG 3 for an elector in their own right– LG 4 for the designated person of a body

corporate– LG 5 for the designated person of a group

Allow time for confirmation of nomination• allow time to lodge the nomination• if the nomination is unsatisfactory at

the close of nominations, it will be invalid

• opportunities for corrections and amendments can be given only until nominations close

Profiles• compulsory, must lodge at same time

as nomination form• must be signed and dated• 150 words maximum • include contact details for the

candidate – either a street address (not a post office box unless accompanied with), an email address or a phone number

Page 13 of the Candidate Handbook

Profiles (cont’d)• contain the statement – I take

responsibility for the content of the profile

• cannot be inaccurate or misleading• lodge written consent if reference to

another candidate• no dot points, underlining, capitals,

different fonts

Photographs• optional – black and white or colour• head and shoulders only• taken in last 12 months• endorsed by candidate on the back • photos in electronic format will not be

accepted

Page 15 of the Candidate Handbook

Following nominations close• draw for position of names on ballot

paper – 4pm on the day nomination close

• letter to candidates advising of results of draw– confirmation of dates for mail-out and

scrutiny and count – legislative framework relating to election

material, illegal practices and campaign returns

– scrutineer authority forms and campaign donations return

Page 17 of the Candidate Handbook

Publication of Candidate Statements• LGA have enabled candidates to

publish a hyperlink to an external webpage or site about yourself and your candidacy

• Information relating to this will be included in nomination kit

• Candidates have 7 days to submit their website address– 12 noon, Tuesday 23 September

Candidate Statement – Instruction to candidates contained within Nomination Kit

Information from council to assist with campaigning• information on the council area and

activities, services, issues• election signage provisions• voters roll (not electronic)

Page 18 of the Candidate Handbook

Electoral material – key points• must contain name, address of:

– person authorising material– printer/producer

• cannot be inaccurate/misleading • consider mail-out of voting packs 20

October to 24 October, when campaigning

• candidate’s responsibility to ensure material complies with law

Page 18 of the Candidate Handbook

Illegal practices• bribery, intimidation, violence• candidate/scrutineer assisting a person

to vote or obtain voting papers• disclosing how another person has

voted• dishonestly influencing/trying to

influence the result of an election or poll

• exercising a vote to which you are not entitled

• opening an envelope containing a vote (unless you are an electoral official).

Page 18 of the Candidate Handbook

Complaints from candidates• must be in writing and addressed to

the returning officer • provide copies of alleged offending

material, details of locations where notices are fixed

• will be recorded as received and notification of the receipt of complaint will be issued

• complaints will be examined during the election period

• handled according to complaints protocol

Page 20 of the Candidate Handbook

Mail-out of voting packs• voting packs mail-out Monday 20

October to Friday 24 October containing:– postal voting guide– ballot paper/s– candidate profile brochure– ballot paper envelope containing a

declaration flap for elector to sign– reply paid envelope

Page 22 of the Candidate Handbook

Return of voting material• close of voting – 5pm, Friday 7

November 2014• returned material is processed daily• ballot paper envelope must be signed• material delivered personally to the

council will be stored in ballot boxes

Scrutineers• candidates cannot observe election

proceedings, must authorise a scrutineer by completing a scrutineer form (four copies will be forwarded after close of nominations)

• scrutineers can observe the processing of returned voting material and the scrutiny and count of ballot papers

• scrutineers cannot assist an elector, obtain voting material for another person or touch ballot papers

Page 23 of the Candidate Handbook

Scrutineers (cont’d)• no more than 2 scrutineers per

candidate at the same time• address queries to officer in charge,

observe scrutineering protocol• illegal offences apply to both

candidates AND scrutineers.

Scrutiny• voting closes 5pm Friday 7 November

2014• scrutiny commences at 9am Saturday

8 November 2014• candidates will be advised of location

and time• declaration flap removed before

envelope opened to ensure vote secrecy

• process – remove declaration flaps from ballot paper envelopes and extract ballot papers before commencing count

Page 25 of the Candidate Handbook

Counts• Saturday 8 November 2014

- commence with mayoral count, then continue with councillor counts

• 9 am Sunday 9 November 2014- resume counting to finalise any incomplete counts

• all counts to 1st preferences will be conducted locally

• complex counts will be transferred to a central processing centre (CPC)

Voting• preferential vote – must mark

preferences on the ballot paper for at least the number of candidates to be elected

eg– mayoral election, must mark at least 1

preference on the ballot paper– 3 vacancies, must mark at 1, 2 and 3

Page 25 of the Candidate Handbook

Vote Counting• votes are counted using the

proportional representation (PR) system

• in most instances a candidate must obtain a quota of votes to be elected

Quota from:• 1st preference votes or• combination of 1st preference votes

and votes transferred from either elected or excluded candidate/s

• final vacancy, 2 candidates remaining in count, neither with quota – candidate with largest number of votes is elected

Explanation of the voting system• Refer – Candidate Handbook Page 29• Visit – www.ecsa.sa.gov.au/flash.htm

‘how your vote counts’• Read – ‘Proportional Representation

(PR)Count Processes and Examples on the ECSA website

Conclusion of election• provisional declaration following

conclusion of each election• 72 hours for request for a recount • results? Visit

www.lga.sa.gov.au/electionresults • ECSA will forward a letter to each

candidate to advise election results

Queries and QuestionsQueries after this meeting?1. Check the Candidate Handbook2. Look at the ‘Profile and Photograph

Requirements’ brochure3. Read the Legislative Framework

relating to Illegal practices sent after nominations close

4. Contact the ECSA Deputy Returning Officer

Questions ?