Candidates Frequently Asked Questions
- Who is qualified to stand as a candidate?
- When can I nominate to stand as a candidate?
- How can I nominate for the House of Representatives?
- How can I nominate for the Senate?
- What does it cost to nominate?
- What is the percentage a candidate must win for a House of Representatives seat?
- What is the percentage a candidate must win for a Senate seat?
- What if a House of Representative candidate dies between close of nominations and polling day?
- What is a scrutineer?
Who is qualified to stand as a candidate?
For both the Senate and the House of Representatives, a person nominated must be:
- 18 years of age or older,
- an Australian citizen,
- an elector entitled to vote at the election or a person qualified to become such an elector.
You cannot nominate for the Senate or the House of Representatives if you are disqualified by section 44 of the Constitution and have not remedied that disqualification before nomination. Examples of this include:
- You are currently a member of a State Parliament or a Territory Legislative Assembly and have not resigned before the hour of nomination (by 12 noon on the Close of Nominations date). As the manner of resignation is governed by State and Territory law, intending candidates should check their resignation is effective before the hour of nomination.
- You must not hold an office of profit under the Crown (eg. public servant), hold dual nationality or be an undischarged bankrupt.
If you have any doubts as to your qualifications under the Constitution, we recommend that you seek your own legal advice. The Australian Electoral Commission is not qualified to provide specific legal advice to prospective candidates.
For further information please see Standing as a Candidate.
When can I nominate to stand as a candidate?
You can nominate to stand as a candidate during business hours from the day after the writ is issued until 12 noon on the day nominations close.
How can I nominate for the House of Representatives?
Nominations for the House of Representatives are made to the Divisional Returning Officer (DRO) for the Division in which the candidate is standing.
It is the responsibility of candidates to ensure that the nomination deposit is in the hands of the AEO or DRO before 12 noon on the day nominations close.
Candidate Nominations will be declared publicly 24 hours after the Close of Nominations.
There are two types of nomination forms for House of Representative candidates:
- Form 1: is for individual candidates, whether endorsed by a registered political party or standing as an independent.
- Form 2: is for use by a registered political party lodging in bulk all its candidates' nominations for a State or Territory.
How can I nominate for the Senate?
Nominations for the Senate are to be made to the Australian Electoral Officer (AEO) for that particular State or Territory.
There are three nomination forms for the Senate which cater for the various types of candidates:
- Form 1: Nomination of a single (ungrouped) Senate candidate
- Form 2: Nomination of grouped Senate candidates who are either all not endorsed or all endorsed by one registered political party
- Form 3: Nomination of grouped Senate candidates who are each endorsed by one registered political party, but not all by the same party.
What does it cost to nominate?
Each nomination for the Senate and the House of Representatives must be accompanied by a deposit paid by legal tender (cash) or a cheque drawn by a bank or other financial institution on itself. Personal cheques cannot be accepted.
The deposit required is $1000 for each Senate candidate and $500 for each House of Representatives candidate.
What is the percentage a candidate must win for a House of Representatives seat?
To win a House of Representatives seat, a candidate must win an absolute majority for that seat (50% + 1 vote) not 51%.
What is the percentage a candidate must win for a Senate seat?
To win a Senate seat, a candidate must obtain a quota (or proportion) of the total formal vote. A quota for a half Senate election is approximately 14% in each State and approximately 33% a Territory (ACT and NT) elections.
What if a House of Representative candidate dies between close of nominations and polling day?
The election for that seat or electoral division does not proceed. A new writ is issued for a supplementary election to be held. The supplementary election is conducted using the electoral roll prepared for the original election.
What is a scrutineer?
A scrutineer is a person appointed by a candidate to observe both the polling and the counting of votes (the scrutiny). Scrutineers have the right to observe procedures, but not participate, and can raise questions with the officer in charge in regard to the validity of any votes. Scrutineers cannot handle ballot papers at any time during the polling or counting of votes.
Further information for scrutineers is contained in the Candidate's Handbook.
