Preselection and Endorsement of a candidate
Preselection and endorsement of a candidate
A registered political party may endorse a candidate to contest a state election.
Notification of preselection ballots
Preselection is the process by which a political party chooses a candidate to endorse for a particular election. A preselection ballot is where members of the party vote in a poll for the purposes of preselecting a candidate for endorsement.
A party’s registered officer must give the ECQ written notice at least 7 days before voting starts in a preselection ballot for a state election. Only parties that use preselection ballots as part, or whole, of their preselection processes need to comply with this requirement .
If a registered political party endorses a candidate in a state election, the party’s registered officer must, within 30 days of election day, notify the ECQ whether the selection of the candidate involved a preselection ballot. This is the case even if the party did not conduct a preselection ballot as part of the selection process.
Notification of endorsement
Regardless of how a candidate is endorsed, the party’s registered officer must notify the ECQ of a candidate’s endorsement within 7 days. Similarly, if a party withdraws a candidate’s endorsement or changes their endorsement, the ECQ must be notified within 7 days.
Links to further information:
- State fact sheet 10 – Preselection ballots and endorsement of candidates
- Preselection Ballot Handbook (State and local government elections)
Forms: