75Informal ballot paper

75 Informal ballot paper (1) A ballot paper is informal: (a) unless it is: (i) printed by the Government Printer; or (ii) created for this Act by an officer and initialled by an officer; or (iii) marked in accordance with section 34; or (b) if an authorised officer is satisfied the voter can be identified because of a mark or other writing on it. (2) For section 34(2)(a) and (b), a voter is taken to have indicated his or her order of preferences for all the candidates on a ballot paper in the circumstances mentioned in subsection (3) or (4). (3) If there are 3 or more candidates and the voter placed a single "1", "" or "" in one candidate square and placed consecutively increasing whole numbers (starting with a "2") in the remaining candidate squares until a number is placed in each of those candidate squares, then: (a) the candidate whose candidate square is placed with a single "1", "" or "" is taken to be the voter's first preference; and (b) the number placed in each of the other candidate squares is taken to indicate the rest of the voter's order of preferences. (4) If there are 3 or more candidates and the voter placed a single "1", "" or "" in one candidate square, left one candidate square blank and placed consecutively increasing whole numbers (starting with a "2") in the remaining candidate squares until a number is placed in each of those candidate squares, then:

Constitutional Convention (Election) Act 2011 41 (a) the candidate whose candidate square is placed with a single "1", "" or "" is taken to be the voter's first preference; and (b) the candidate whose candidate square is left blank is taken to be the voter's last preference; and (c) each number placed in any other candidate square is taken to indicate the voter's order of preferences between the first and last preferences.