EUTHANASIA advocate Philip Nitschke and ABC personalities Russell Woolf and Verity James are some of the more high profile candidates among the record 77 candidates nominated for the April 5 re-run of the WA Senate election.
The Australian Electoral Commission said the final figure fell short of the 100-plus candidates they expected to register.
Woolf and James are running on a platform of saving the national broadcaster, believing the ABC is being targeted for cuts by Prime Minister Tony Abbott.
Early voting in the election begins Tuesday morning for those unable to vote on April 5.
The Australian Electoral Officer for Western Australia, Kathy Mitchell, said today that 600 000 ballot papers were printed over the weekend in time for the start of the early voting period.
The election is being re-run after 1370 ballot papers went missing during a recount following last September’s federal election.
The Wikileaks Party scored the coveted number one position on the lengthy ballot paper, while Labor will appear sixth, the Palmer United Party 16th, the Liberals 18th and the Greens 27th.
The full list of candidates for the WA Senate election can be seen on the Australian Electoral Commission's website here.
The Australian Electoral Commission announced last week that 1.48 million Western Australians are enrolled to vote in the Senate election compared to the 1.45 million enrolled for last year’s federal election.
See the enrolment statistics by age for the WA Senate election below.
Acting Australian Electoral Officer for Western Australia, Kathy Mitchell, said it is now important for all enrolled voters to make sure they vote at the 2014 WA Senate election.
The locations and opening times of early voting centres in WA are available here, by selecting "where can I vote", or by calling 13 23 26.
