“Mr Richard Allan has been elected to fill the casual vacancy on the ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elected Body, resulting from the resignation of one of its members,” the Acting ACT Electoral Commissioner, Mr Rohan Spence, said today.

The Chair of the Elected Body formally notified the Electoral Commissioner on 4 June 2015 that Ms Jo Donovan had resigned her position on the Elected Body, resulting in a casual vacancy.

“All candidates who stood unsuccessfully at the 2014 election were invited to contest the vacancy and four applications were received prior to the close of applications at 12 noon today, Tuesday 23 June 2015,” Mr Spence said.

Vacancies on the Elected Body are filled by distributing the votes of the former member. “In effect, those voters who voted for Ms Donovan determined her replacement,” Mr Spence said.

After the formal declaration of candidates, a distribution of the votes received by Ms Donovan took place today, conducted by Elections ACT.

“Following the distribution of preferences Mr Richard Allan was declared elected to fill the casual vacancy on the Elected Body,” Mr Spence said.

The official declaration of the poll is scheduled to take place at 1:00 pm on Wednesday 24 June 2015.