318Postal voting procedure

#### 318 Postal voting procedure 318 Postal voting procedure > > (1) To make a postal vote, an elector is to— > > > > > (a) show to a witness the ballot-paper and postal vote certificate delivered or sent to the elector under section 317, and > > > > > (b) in the presence of the witness, and if the facts on the certificate are correct, sign the certificate in the space provided. > > > (2) The witness is to sign and date the certificate in the place provided. > > > (3) The elector is then to do the following in the presence of the witness, but without showing the witness how the elector has voted— > > > > > (a) vote as directed on the ballot-paper, > > > > > (b) fold the ballot-paper so that the vote cannot be seen, > > > > > (c) if the elector was issued with a postal vote certificate envelope addressed to the returning officer—place the ballot-paper in the envelope and close and seal the envelope, > > > > > (d) if the elector was issued with a postal vote certificate envelope not addressed to the returning officer—place the ballot paper in the postal vote certificate envelope, place the postal vote certificate envelope in the envelope that is addressed to the returning officer and close and seal that envelope, > > > > > (e) if the elector was issued with a postal vote certificate and envelope under section 317(1)(b)(ii)—place the ballot paper and the postal vote certificate in the envelope and close and seal the envelope. > > > (4) The elector is then to deliver or send the envelope, or have it delivered or sent, to be received by the returning officer before 6pm on the 13th day, or for a rural and remote council on the 20th day, following election day. > > > (5) An envelope containing or purporting to contain a postal ballot-paper is taken to have been received by the returning officer if it is delivered to the polling place manager at any polling place between 8 am and 6 pm on election day. The envelope is to be placed in the ballot-box at the polling place. > > > (6) An elector to whom a ballot-paper has been delivered or sent under this Subdivision is not entitled to vote at a polling place or pre-poll voting office without first surrendering the ballot-paper and the postal vote certificate to the polling place manager at the polling place or the pre-poll voting officer at the pre-poll voting office, as the case requires. > > > (7) However, if the elector makes a declaration in an approved form that the elector has not received, or has lost, the ballot-paper or the postal vote certificate or both and that the elector will not use them if he or she later receives or finds them, the elector may be permitted to vote. > > Note. > > See section 387 as to spoilt ballot-papers and section 388 as to the assistance of electors. > > **s 318:** Am 2024 (327), Sch 1\[8\] \[9\]; 2025 (228), Sch 1\[2\].