Senate draw

The Australian Electoral Officer (AEO) declares the nominations received for the Senate in their State or Territory at 12 noon on the day after the nominations for the election close. Following the declaration, the AEO conducts the draw for positions on the ballot paper. This is usually conducted in the AEC capital city State Office in the relevant State or Territory.

In Senate elections, the names of candidates included in groups are placed on the ballot paper before the names of candidates not included in groups.

For the purposes of the Senate draw and ballot paper printing, incumbent Senators who have given written notice of an intention to lodge a voting ticket are treated as a group.

The AEO determines the order of grouped and ungrouped candidates on the ballot paper by conducting a public draw for positions. This draw is conducted in two parts, with each part consisting of two draws.

There are two separate draws, one for groups and one for ungrouped candidates.

In the first part, the first draw allocates a number to each group and the second draw determines the order in which each group appears on the ballot paper.

This is followed by two draws for ungrouped candidates, with the first draw allocating a number to each ungrouped candidate and the second draw determining the order in which each ungrouped candidate appears on the ballot paper.

The Senate draws are conducted in this order because groups appear before ungrouped candidates on the ballot paper.

How is the draw done?

A number of small wooden balls equal to the number of groups or ungrouped candidates are marked with different numbers and placed in a container large enough for all the balls to move freely when it is rotated.

The container is rotated by an AEC officer (usually AEO) who then invites any other person present to rotate the container.

The first draw is to allocate a number to each candidate.

A person is blindfolded and selects the balls one by one and passes them to another person who reads out the number. As the numbers are called, they are allocated to the group or ungrouped.

The balls are then replaced in the container. Again, the container is rotated and any person present may rotate it.

The second draw is conducted for positions on the ballot paper using the first allocated number. The order that these numbers are drawn determines the order of names on the ballot paper.

What happens after the draw?

After the draw, the AEC moves immediately to begin the printing of ballot papers.

Once the ballot papers are printed, voters who will be away on polling day are able to begin voting in the election by casting a pre-poll or postal vote.