Local Government (General) Regulation 2021

A ballot to determine the order in which the names of groups of candidates are to appear on the ballot-papers, as referred to in section 302, is to be conducted in the following manner—

the returning officer must, at an approved place and before all persons present, make out in respect of each group of candidates a slip bearing the surname of every candidate in the group and, if the returning officer considers it necessary to do so, the given names or the initial letter or letters of the given names of every candidate in the group,

the returning officer must then enclose the slips in separate identical containers, securely seal each container and deposit all the containers in a securely fastened ballot-box,

the returning officer must then shake and rotate the ballot-box and, on request, permit any other person present to do the same,

the returning officer must then unfasten the ballot-box and take out and open each container one by one,

the returning officer must then write the word “Group” followed by the letter “A” on the slip enclosed in the container first taken from the ballot-box and write the word “Group” followed by the letter “B” on the slip enclosed in the container next taken from the ballot-box, and so on until the word “Group” and a successive letter of the English alphabet (or, if there are more than 26 groups, a distinctive symbol determined by the returning officer) have been written on each slip,

the returning officer must then announce to the persons present, and record, the names of the candidates in each group and include in that record, before the names of the candidates in each group, the word “Group” followed by the identifying letter or symbol determined in respect of that group in accordance with paragraph (e),

the record must be signed by the returning officer and may also be signed by any of the persons present,

the returning officer must promptly deliver or send the original of the record to the election manager.

Each candidate or an agent of each candidate is entitled to be present at a ballot in accordance with this section.