By Marcus Uhe
Independent candidate Ravi Ragupathy has drawn the highest place on the election ballot voting card for the seat of Holt.
It comes as candidate nominations came to a close on Thursday 21 April before the Declaration of Nominees on Friday 22 April.
The number one spot is considered an advantage in that it secures the donkey vote, where preferences are recorded by disenfranchised or disinterested voters by simply following the order in which the candidates appear on the ballot paper.
Labor’s Cassandra Fernando received second place, while Ranj Perera from the Liberal party has the final place on the ballot.
Eight candidates will contest the seat of Holt, which has been vacated by the retiring Anthony Byrne MP, after 22 years.
The candidates in order of the ballot are as follows: Independent Ravi Ragupathy, Cassandra Fernando from the Australian Labor Party, Gerardine Hansen of United Australia Party, Sandy Ambard from Pauline Hanson’s One Nation, Gregory Saldana of the Australian Federation Party, Liberal Democrats’ Matthew Nunez-Silva, Sujit Mathew from The Greens and Ranj Perera of the Liberal Party of Australia.
Holt covers the vast majority of City of Casey suburbs, from Hampton Park down to the coastal villages of Blind Bight, Warneet and Tooradin.
In La Trobe, incumbent Jason Wood will be top of the ballot for voters in Clyde North and Dalmore when they head to the polls next month, as he seeks his fourth consecutive victory.
As with Holt, Mr Wood will be one of eight contesting the seat.
The other candidates for La Trobe (in ballot order) are Hadden Ervin of Pauline Hanson’s One Nation, Michael Schilling of The Australian Greens, Merryn Mott of United Australia Party, Abhimanyu (Abi) Kumar of the Australian Labor Party, Rebecca Skinner of Australian Federation Party, Michael Abelman of Liberal Democratic Party and Helen Jeges of Animal Justice Party.
While in Julian Hill’s seat of Bruce, five challengers will look to break a 26-year Labor stronghold.
Christine Skrobo, representing the Liberal Democrat Party, is first on the ballot paper, followed by Matt Babet from the United Australia Party, Hayley Deans from Pauline Hanson’s One Nation, Mr Hill, Liberal’s James Moody and The Greens’ Matthew Kirwan.
The Bruce electorate encompasses the suburbs of Hallam, Endeavour Hills and Doveton.
