Instructions for voting

ALIA Vice-president [President-elect]

ALIA members will receive the ballot paper with the March 2007 inCite magazine.

Failure to comply with the voting conditions will render your vote informal. Votes received after 5:00pm on Wednesday 11 April 2007 will not be counted.

Further details are available via e-mail: enquiry@alia.org.au.nospam (please remove '.nospam' from address)

Ballot paper instructions

Votes will be counted using the standard preferential system [explained below].

1. Please indicate your preference by numbering the squares. Ballot papers with markings other than numbers will be rendered invalid and will not be counted.
2. Complete and remove ballot paper from this leaflet.
3. Enclose the ballot paper in the provided BLANK envelope (or any other blank envelope).
4. Enclose the blank envelope in the self-addressed ballot paper envelope.
5. Write your full name, address and membership number on the back of the ballot paper envelope.
6. Post the completed envelope into a mailbox (no stamp is required if posted in Australia).

24. Where there is one to be filled, a standard preferential system is to be used.
25. In this system, a voter is required to indicate a preference for each candidate on the ballot paper by using the numbers 1, 2, 3, and so on, up to the number of candidates.
26. A candidate must poll an absolute majority (in excess of 50 per cent) of all formal votes to be elected.
27. If, after all first preference votes have been counted, no candidate has obtained an absolute majority of all formal votes, then the candidate with the fewest number of first preference votes is excluded (first preference votes are the number 1's). That excluded candidate's second preference votes are then distributed to the remaining candidates.
28. If, after that exclusion, no candidate has obtained an absolute majority of formal votes, then the next remaining candidate with the fewest votes is excluded and all of his/her votes (that is, first preference votes plus those votes received from the first excluded candidate) are distributed to the remaining candidates.
29. The above process is continued until one candidate obtains an absolute majority of formal votes and is elected.
30. If, at any exclusion, the next available preference is for a previously excluded candidate, then that preference is disregarded and the vote is distributed to the continuing candidate for whom the next available preference is shown.

ALIA Board of Directors

ALIA members will receive the ballot paper with the March 2007 inCite magazine.

Failure to comply with the voting conditions will render your vote informal. Votes received after 5:00pm on Wednesday 11 April 2007 will not be counted.

Further details are available via e-mail: enquiry@alia.org.au.nospam (please remove '.nospam' from address)

Ballot paper instructions

Votes will be counted using the multiple preferential system [explained below].

1. Please indicate your preference by numbering the squares. Ballot papers with markings other than numbers will be rendered invalid and will not be counted.
2. Complete and remove ballot paper from this leaflet.
3. Enclose the ballot paper in the provided BLANK envelope (or any other blank envelope).
4. Enclose the blank envelope in the self-addressed ballot paper envelope.
5. Write your full name, address and membership number on the back of the ballot paper envelope.
6. Post the completed envelope into a mailbox (no stamp is required if posted in Australia).

31. Where more than one position is to be filled, a multiple preferential system is to be used.
32. The multiple preferential system accomplishes with one ballot, the election of more than one candidate by a majority number of electors who cast formal votes.
33. Under this system, voters are required to mark their preference for all candidates. Preferences are to be expressed on the ballot paper by using the numbers 1,2,3 etc. Ballot papers with markings other than numbers will be rendered invalid and will not be counted. If voters express a preference for only some of the remaining candidates, the vote will still be valid.
34. Votes are classified into two categories:
    • Preferences marked on a ballot paper up to the number of candidates to be elected are called primary votes. They have equal value and are credited to the candidate for whom they are cast, whether they are marked 1, 2, 3 etc. up to the number of candidates to be elected. For example, where 2 candidates are to be elected, preferences 1 & 2 are primary votes of equal value.
    • All preference votes beyond those primary votes are called secondary votes and rank according to their numerical number.
35. The primary votes for each candidate are counted and the candidate having the fewest number of primary votes is excluded from the count and his/her preferences are distributed among the continuing candidates.
36. Ballot papers on which an excluded candidate has obtained a primary vote are examined and distributed to continuing candidates according to the first of the available secondary votes expressed on each ballot paper. For example if there are two candidates to be elected, the votes of an excluded candidate will be distributed to the third ranked preference on their ballot papers. When the distribution of those secondary votes has been completed and new progressive totals obtained for each remaining candidate, the candidate then having the fewest number of votes is next excluded and his/her next available preferences distributed.
37. All ballot papers in the possession of a candidate at the time of his/her exclusion are transferred to continuing candidates according to the next available preference. This process of exclusions is continued until only the number to be elected remains in the count.
38. At all times care must be taken to ensure that a ballot paper is not transferred to any continuing candidate more than once.
39. The candidate who shall have received the greatest number of votes shall be declared elected and written declaration of the result of the count shall be signed by the Australian Electoral Commission officer and handed to the Executive Director (or the person conducting the ballot) who shall inform the President of the Association and all the candidates of the result within seven days thereafter.