What happens if they incorrectly count the votes in the House of Representatives or in the Senate?

Thanks for your question, Alex.

If votes are counted incorrectly in Parliament, the error is usually corrected immediately. However, if the error can’t be easily fixed or there is confusion about the result, the standing orders – the rules of the Senate and House of Representatives – allow for another division to be held so the correct result is recorded.

For each division, there are senators or members who count the votes. They are usually the whip and deputy whip from the government and opposition. Mistakes in counting votes are rare because the process is checked carefully.

In the Senate, the whips stand next to the Clerk's desk and call the names of the senators voting on each side. The names are marked off by the Clerks on printed division lists. When the lists match, they are signed by the whips and the Clerks. The Clerk then passes the lists to the President of the Senate to announce the result. 

In the House of Representatives, the result of divisions are recorded electronically. The whips use tablets and mark off the names of the members voting on each side. This means that any potential error (such as a member being recorded as voting both ‘yes’ and ‘no’) is caught immediately. It also means the results can be published online very quickly.