18 March 2005

On Sunday this weekend, further counting of votes in the Werriwa by-election will be undertaken. Sunday counting will mainly examine pre-poll and postal votes.

Figures for Sunday counting are expected to be posted on the virtual tally room (VTR) on the AEC website at www.aec.gov.au by 4 pm on Sunday.

Werriwa by-election votes will continue to be counted on the Monday after election day until they are finalised.

What votes are counted on election night?

The majority of electors cast an ordinary vote, that is a vote cast on election day at a polling place within the Werriwa division for which the elector is enrolled. All these ordinary votes are counted at the polling place on election night.

A fresh count of these votes is also done in the post election period, to ensure accuracy of the count.

What votes are counted after election night?

There are a number of electors who cast what is known as a declaration vote and these are counted after election night. They consist of the following types of votes at by-elections:

• Postal vote – a vote cast by mail before election day by an elector – an elector needs to apply for a postal vote on a postal vote application form
• Early (pre-poll) vote – a vote cast in person before election day at divisional offices or special early voting centres
• Provisional vote – a vote cast on election day by an elector who believes he or she should be on the roll but whose name could not be found on the roll in the polling place.

For federal elections and by-elections, the legislation requires that the AEC wait for up to 13 days after election day for any outstanding postal votes to be returned. These votes are included in the count if they are postmarked before 6 pm on election day and are received within 13 days of election day. For this reason, the counting of postal votes is an ongoing process for up to 13 days after election day.

Further information contact:

Karen Houston

Divisional Returning Officer for Werriwa

Ph: 02 4627 1156

Susan Gibb

Manager, Public Awareness

Australian Electoral Commission

Ph: 02 9375 6318

Mob: 0413 274 800

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