The Chairperson of the ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elected Body has notified the Electoral Commissioner that one of the Elected Body’s members, Ms Margaret Blackman, has resigned her position on the Elected Body.

“I am now required to announce the vacancy and call for applications from the unsuccessful candidates at the 2021 Elected Body election who still live in the ACT and who wish to contest the vacancy,” the Electoral Commissioner, Damian Cantwell AM CSC said today.

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

“To begin the formal process for filling the vacancy, I will place an advertisement in The Canberra Times on Friday 27 January 2023 inviting candidates who stood unsuccessfully at the 2021 election to contest the vacancy.  Those candidates will then have 10 days to apply to contest the vacancy, if they wish to do so,” Mr Cantwell said.

Applications will close at 12 noon on Monday 6 February 2023.  “A declaration of the names of the candidates who wish to contest the vacancy will be made at 12.30 pm that day,” Mr Cantwell said.

“If more than one candidate applies to contest the vacancy, a distribution of the votes received by Ms Blackman will take place at the Elections ACT office at 2 pm on 6 February 2023 to elect a candidate to fill the vacancy,” Mr Cantwell said.