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How are votes counted?
Legislative Assembly elections
Counting begins once voting centres close at 6:00 pm on election day.
Votes that are cast on election day are counted on election night. Other counts may include early and postal votes.
Ballot papers are checked to ensure formality and those that are not completed correctly are set aside; these are called informal ballot papers and are not counted towards the result.
The remaining ballot papers are sorted into piles for each candidate according to the first preference marked on the ballot paper. The number of ballot papers are then totalled for each candidate, the results phoned through to the office and added to the website.
All ballot papers are re-checked after election night to make sure they have been counted correctly.
Following the first preference count, electoral officials conduct an indicative two-candidate preferred (TCP) count. This result is added to this website.
The two selected candidates are those expected to receive the most first preference votes. The TCP count is conducted to give an early indication of who is most likely to win each seat.
A recheck of all votes is undertaken during the week after election day including absent, early and postal votes.
The distribution of preferences is not conducted until after the cut-off for receipt of postal ballot papers. Electors voting by post have until 12:00 noon on the second Friday after election day to return their ballot papers.
A candidate must receive a majority of the total formal votes in the count to be elected (that is, 50% + 1).
For example - if there are 4,000 formal ballot papers in the count, the absolute majority of votes is calculated as: 4,000 ÷ 2 = 2,000 + 1 = 2,001.
If a candidate has a majority of the votes, the candidate is elected and no further counting is necessary.
If no candidate receives the majority, the candidate with the least number of formal votes is ‘excluded‘ and that candidate's ballot papers are re-sorted to the other candidates according to the second preference shown on each ballot paper. The process of exclusions is repeated until one candidate gains more than half of the formal votes and is elected.
As soon as practicable after the results of an election have been determined, the commission must publicly declare the results of the election and the names of candidates returned as elected.
The public declaration locations and times are advertised on this website.
At any time before the result of the election is declared, a candidate may ask the commission for a recount to be conducted. The initiating candidate must state the reasons for the request, which may or may not proceed.
The Electoral Commissioner may also initiate a recount on their own volition.
For more information read the Recount Policy (PDF, 630KB)
A person may dispute the validity of an election by making an application to the Court of Disputed Returns. The application must be made no later than 21-days after the day fixed for the return of the writ for the election.
Local government elections
Counting begins once voting centres close at 6:00 pm on election day.
Votes that are cast on election day are counted on election night. Other counts may include early and postal votes.
Ballot papers are checked to ensure formality and those that are not completed correctly are set aside; these are called informal ballot papers and are not counted towards the result. The remaining ballot papers are sorted into piles for each candidate according to the first preference marked on the ballot paper. The number of ballot papers are then totalled for each candidate, the results phoned through to the office and added to the website.
All ballot papers are re-checked after election night to make sure they have been counted correctly.
The electoral system used in local government elections in the Territory is the proportional representation electoral system, or PR for short.
Proportional representation is the term which describes a group of electoral systems used for elections in multi-member electorates to elect candidates who receive a set proportion of the vote. In Australia, these systems are classified into two categories - List Systems and Single Transferable Vote (STV). In the Northern Territory the electoral system used is the STV type.
For more information read the Proportional Representation Information Sheet (simplified) PDF 808KB or Proportional Representation Information Sheet (detailed) PDF 873KB
Under STV, each vote can be transferred between candidates in the order of the voter's preferences. A candidate is elected when their total number of votes equals or exceeds the quota.
A recheck of all votes is undertaken during the week after election day including absent, early and postal votes.
The count of ballot papers for an election for principal member (that is, a mayor or president) is conducted first, the results determined and then those ballot papers are set aside before the count of ballot papers for ordinary members is conducted.
If a candidate stands for both a principal member and ordinary member vacancy and is elected to the position of principal member, that candidate is then excluded from the count for ordinary member. Their ballot papers are distributed to the next available candidate according to the preferences marked by the voter.
Determination of the quota and distribution of preferences takes place after the cut-off for the return of postal voting ballot papers. Electors voting by post have until 12:00 noon on the second Friday after election day to return their ballot papers.
As soon as practicable after the results of an election have been determined, the commission must publicly declare the results of the election and the names of candidates returned as elected.
The public declaration locations and times are advertised on this website.
At any time before the result of the election is declared, a candidate may ask the commission for a recount to be conducted. The initiating candidate must state the reasons for the request, which may or may not proceed.
The Electoral Commissioner may also initiate a recount on their own volition.
For more information read the Recount Policy (PDF, 630KB)
The returning officer, candidate (or prospective candidate whose nomination was rejected) or elector for the relevant area may, by application to the Civil and Administrative Tribunal, dispute the result of the election. The application must be filed with the Registrar of the Civil and Administrative Tribunal within 21-days after the conclusion of the election to which it relates.