What is the minimum number of proposers and seconders required for a…

Concept

In a Presidential election, the validity of a nomination paper depends on statutory support from electors in two separate roles: proposers and seconders.

The law sets a minimum for each role independently; meeting one count does not compensate for a shortfall in the other.

Application

Section 5B(1)(a) of the Presidential and Vice-Presidential Elections Act, 1952 requires a nomination paper to be subscribed by at least fifty electors as proposers and at least fifty electors as seconders.

Therefore, the required pair is 50 proposers and 50 seconders.

Contrast

• 10-10 assigns ten electors to each role, which is below the separate statutory minimum for each role.

• 25-25 assigns twenty-five electors to each role, which is below the separate statutory minimum for each role.

• 15-15 assigns fifteen electors to each role, which is below the separate statutory minimum for each role.

• 50-50 assigns fifty electors to each role and reaches the statutory minimum in both roles.

Cross-check

Checking the two roles separately gives proposer count = 50 and seconder count = 50; neither count is below the legal minimum.

Result

The minimum requirement is 50 proposers and 50 seconders.