Almost certainly no one in the Calare electorate had heard of Jessyka Norsworthy until yesterday.

But her party pulled a surprise on the other candidates with a last minute nomination announced yesterday afternoon by Calare Returning Officer Dimity McKenzie.

The Christian Democrats have nominated a girl who at 18 has only just become eligible to vote for the first time.

Then her name was drawn first to take the number one position on the ballot paper

Nothing more was known of the candidate although she is clearly just a token nominee with no realistic prospect of attracting a large vote.

Another last minute nomination was by Lithgow resident Macgregor Ross, founder and director of the annual Ironfest carnival.

He drew the last position in the voting order.

With these late nominations there are now seven candidates to contest Calare.

Here’s how they will appear on the ballot paper when voters go to the polls on August 21:

* ONE, JESSYKA NORSWORTHY (CDP); * TWO, PAUL BLANCH (IND); * THREE, KEVIN DUFFY (ALP); * FOUR, KAREN ROMANO (IND); * FIVE, JEREMY BUCKINGHAM (GREENS); * SIX, JOHN COBB (NATIONALS); * SEVEN, MACGREGOR ROSS (IND).

MEANTIME in the neighboring electorate, nine candidates have thrown their hats in the ring to contest the federal seat of Macquarie at next month's federal election.

Divisional returning officer Maureen O'Leary officially declared the nine lower house candidates at noon yesterday at the Australian Electoral Commission’s (AEC) Springwood office before the draw to determine where each candidate would appear on the ballot paper.

Taking the top spot on the ballot paper was Peter Whelan of the Liberal Democrats, a 66 year old farmer, businessman and sporting shooter from Glenorie who is married with six granddaughters.