INCUMBENT member for Calare Andrew Gee may be listed last on the ballot paper, but he's not concerned.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Nationals' candidate will be listed seventh when pre-polling for the May 18 federal election opens on Monday, a position he said he'd been in before.
"The donkey vote's pretty mute in elections these days, so I'm not too worried about it," he said.
"It remains to be seen whether the [Nationals state and federal] issues overlap and I'm going to be running on my record."
VIDEO: Jess Jennings and Andrew Gee talk about their positions on the ballot paper...
After some confusion during the ballot draw at the Moulder Street returning office on Wednesday, which initially listed Mr Gee first by mistake, he said the process was transparent and he would not challenge the outcome.
Labor candidate Jess Jennings was listed third, the best position he believed he had ever drawn.
Asked whether Labor's result in Bathurst at the state election concerned him, he said he had a higher profile than the state candidate.
"I think the Nats are on the nose in Orange and Wellington and I think they'll take a hit in those areas," he said.
"The more people are realising that drought is a product of climate, the more they're starting to switch on."
VIDEO: The ballot draw on Wednesday...
Neither candidate - the only two to attend the draw - confirmed which preference deals they would seek.
Shooters, Fishers and Farmers candidate Sam Romano was drawn first, followed by the Liberal Democrats' Stephen Bisgrove, Dr Jennings and Wellington's Beverley Cameron for the United Australia Party.
The Greens' Stephanie Luke was drawn fifth, followed by Shuyi Chen for the Christian Democrats, and Mr Gee.
Ms Luke was one of the Wollar Three, along with Bev Smiles and Bruce Hughes, who escaped conviction after protesting the expansion of the Wilpinjong coal mine near Mudgee.
They were the first to be charged under the NSW government's anti-protest laws.
"It's no longer enough to state 'jobs and growth' as our only criteria, we need to think more broadly about water as our most precious natural resource," she said in a statement on Wednesday.
"As divided as politics seems, when I speak to people across our community the concerns are similar: drought, future livelihoods, making the tough decisions."
Three weeks of pre-polling will start on Monday at 121 Moulder Street.
Mr Gee said it would be gruelling on the candidates' volunteers.
"It does really stretch the resources, having said that it is really popular - the voters do seem to like prepolling and more and more people are doing it."
While you're with us, you can now receive updates straight to your inbox from the Lithgow Mercury. To make sure you're up to date with all the news, sign up here.