THE ballot papers have been set ahead of the hotly anticipated May 3 election, with nine candidates for McEwen, and seven candidates for Nicholls, all eagerly awaiting where they would lie on the ballot papers on Friday.
McEwen’s ballot draw was held on Friday afternoon at the Wandong Public Hall, with four of the nine candidates in attendance—Gerard Rennick People Firsts’ Ali Antoniou, The Greens’ Marley McRae McLeod, FUSION’s Erin McGrath and Labor’s Rob Mitchell.
Also on the ballot papers were Liberal candidate Jason McClintock, Tom Forrest from the Legalise Cannabis Party, Julio G Valencia from Family First, Chloe Nicolosi from the Animal Justice Party and Jeremy Johnson from Pauline Hanson’s One Nation.
With McEwen looming as a key seat, and Labor currently holding a 3.8 per cent advantage, the ballot draw provided plenty of surprises, with both Mr McClintock and Mr Mitchell looming as the last two to be drawn on the ballot paper.
Mr McClintock was drawn seventh, while Mr Mitchell was drawn last.
The full ballot paper order reads as follows:
Ali Antoniou
Tom Forrest
Julio G Valencia
Marley McRae McLeod
Chloe Nicolosi
Jeremy Johnson
Jason McClintock
Erin McGrath
Rob Mitchell
Meanwhile, the seat of Nicholls, which has now gained voters in Kilmore, held their ballot draw in Shepparton on Friday.
There were seven candidates in what is regarded as a safe Nationals seat.
Current incumbent Sam Birrell will have competition for the seat from Labor’s Kim Travers, The Greens’ Shelby Eade, Glenn Francis Floyd from Trumpet of Patriots, Paul Bachelor from Family First, Jeff Davy from the Citizens Party and Aaron Tyrrell from Pauline Hanson’s One Nation.
The results of the ballot paper read:
Kim Travers
Paul Edward Bachelor
Glenn Francis Floyd
Aaron Tyrrell
Sam Birrell
Jeff Davy
Shelby Eade
