Blindfolds and bingo barrels decide Warringah and Bradfield ballot papers.

By ANNA USHER

A record 18 million Australians will vote in the 2025 Federal Election, but before that can happen someone needs to decide which order the candidates’ names will appear.

That’s where the blindfold and bingo barrel come in.

Australia has one of the oldest living democracies in the world and we have held on to some archaic – some may say bizarre – traditions.

The Australian Electoral Commission performed the quirky ritual at dozens of public events on Friday 11 April.

Under the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918, the draw must be conducted by blindfolding a person, and placing one ball for each candidate into a spherical container, spinning the container and drawing out a number that is then assigned to each candidate.

We will be providing election coverage from Warringah and Bradfield and will soon publish an “election pitch” from each candidate.

Here’s where Warringah and Bradfield candidates landed.

Ballot Paper Postions: Warringah:

• Zali Steggall – INDEPENDENT
• Celine Varghese-Fell – LABOR
• Anthony Rose – TRUMPET OF PATRIOTS
• David Michael Spratt – LIBERTARIAN PARTY
• Gavin Wright – ONE NATION
• Jaimee Rogers – LIBERAL
• Bonnie Harvey – THE GREENS

Ballot Paper Postions: Bradfield:

• Samuel Jospeh Gunning – LIBERTARIAN
• Harjit Singh – THE GREENS
• Andy Yin – INDEPENDENT
• Louise McCallum – LABOR
• John Manton – ONE NATION
• Gisele Kapterian – LIBERAL
• Nicolette Boele – INDEPENDENT
• Rosemary Mulligan – TRUMPET OF PATRIOTS