60Group voting tickets

60  Group voting tickets

 (1) *Grouped candidates may, before the end of 48 hours after the *hour of nomination, lodge with the AEO a written statement that they wish voters in the election to indicate their preferences in relation to candidates in the election in an order specified in the statement. The order specified must:

 (a) give preferences to the candidates lodging the statement before any other candidate; and

 (b) show a number of preferences that is not less than the number of candidates to be elected.

 (2) Where an order of preferences is not lodged in respect of a *group as provided for in subsection (1), the candidates are taken to have lodged a statement with the AEO that the candidates in the group wish the voters in the election to indicate preferences for all of the candidates in the group in the order in which the candidates’ names appear in the *list of candidates.

 (3) Without limiting subsection (1), a statement for the purposes of that subsection may specify an order of preferences by setting out the names of the candidates in the election to whom a preference is to be given with a number written or printed opposite the name of each of those candidates showing that order of preferences.

 (4) A statement under subsection (1) may be signed:

 (a) by the *first candidate in the *group; or

 (b) by a person authorised by all the members of the group, by written instrument given to the AEO with the nomination or nominations of members of the group, to sign such a statement on behalf of the group.

 (5) The statement lodged, or taken to have been lodged, under this section is taken to be a group voting ticket registered for the purposes of an election, being the order of preferences specified in the statement.