Last week’s draw determined the position of candidates on the ballot paper on which electors will mark their preferences.

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The common wisdom is that those plucked out first or early on in the draw process have an advantage over those picked last, who are thought to be at risk of picking up unintended donkey votes.

However, candidates who attended the draw did not seem overly concerned.

Current mayor Paul Amos, who was selected first in the draw for the mayoral poll, said he doesn’t feel that ballot paper position is critical.

In the last election, he drew “somewhere in the middle”.

“I think people will do their homework first and look at our team,” he said.

“We have some very experienced people and, in local council, you do need people with strong track records who know the system.”

Incumbent Labor candidate Tony Judge, was selected second-last in the draw of mayoral candidates and last in the councillor draw.

He wasn’t hugely disappointed as he felt most voters were more judicious than that.

“I would rather have been picked first but I think it’s fine,” he said.

“People know how to read their way through a ballot paper.

“I’m pretty sure I was picked out first last term. But we are better known by the community now, they know who we are and what we stand for.”

Greens candidate and incumbent Jonathan Cassell, who drew third for mayor and fourth in the councillor draw, saw it as “a bit of a win, psychologically”.

“Last election we were last on the ballot paper. Now we are happily up the list on number three,” he said.

Apart from finding out the order of their name on the ballot paper, the event was an official announcement of all candidates campaigning for the 14 September election.

For more details, go to the NSW Electoral Commission website and search for Coffs Harbour.

By Leigh WATSON