(1) An individual is an independent candidate if:
(a) the individual is a candidate in an election (including an election that is later declared void) for members of the Commonwealth Parliament, a State Parliament, the Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory or the Legislative Assembly for the Australian Capital Territory; and
(b) the individual's candidature is not endorsed by a political party that is registered under Part XI of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 or under corresponding State or Territory legislation.
(2) However, an individual does not start being an * independent candidate until the candidates for the election are declared or otherwise publicly announced by an entity authorised under the relevant electoral legislation.
(3) An individual stops being an * independent candidate when the result of the election is declared or otherwise publicly announced by an entity authorised under the relevant electoral legislation.
(4) If:
(a) the election is taken to have wholly failed under the relevant electoral legislation; and
(b) the result of the election has not been declared or otherwise publicly announced by an entity authorised under the relevant electoral legislation;
the individual stops being an * independent candidate in that election when candidates for the replacement election are declared or otherwise publicly announced by an entity authorised under the relevant electoral legislation.