Electoral Act 1993

168 Method of voting

• (1) The voter, having received a ballot paper,—

  • (a) shall immediately retire into one of the inner compartments provided for the purpose; and

  • (b) shall there alone and secretly vote—

    • (i) by marking the party vote with a tick within the circle immediately after the name of the party for which the voter wishes to vote; and

    • (ii) by marking the electorate vote with a tick within the circle immediately before the name of the constituency candidate for whom the voter wishes to vote.

  (2) Where the ballot paper comprises only a party vote or only an electorate vote, the provisions of subsection (3) shall apply instead of subsection (1).

  (3) The voter, having received a ballot paper,—

  • (a) shall immediately retire into one of the inner compartments provided for the purpose; and

  • (b) shall there alone and secretly vote either—

    • (i) by marking the party vote with a tick within the circle immediately after the name of the party by which the voter wishes to vote; or

    • (ii) by marking the electorate vote with a tick within the circle immediately before the name of the constituency candidate for whom the voter wishes to vote.

  (4) Every voter shall, before leaving the inner compartment, fold the ballot paper so that the contents cannot be seen, and shall then deposit it so folded in the ballot box.

  (5) Nothing in this section limits the provisions of section 178(5)(a)(ii).

  Section 168: substituted, on 6 December 1995, by section 46 of the Electoral Amendment Act (No 2) 1995 (1995 No 61).