Why is the preferential voting system used at Australian elections?
Ballot box graphic
Parliamentary Education Office (peo.gov.au)
Ballot box graphic
Parliamentary Education Office (peo.gov.au)
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Hi Alex, thanks for your question.
The Australian Constitution allows the Australian Parliament to make laws about how federal elections are run, including the voting systems we use. We use preferential voting as set out in the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918.
The first federal election in 1902 used ‘first-past-the-post’ voting for both the Senate and the House of Representatives. Preferential voting was introduced in 1918.
In the House of Representatives, full preferential voting results in the election of candidates supported by the majority – more than half – of voters. This is because candidates must get over 50% of the vote. In first-past-the-post voting, candidates only need to get the most votes.
Proportional representation was introduced for Senate elections in 1948. In part, this was a response to the lopsided results of previous elections. For example, after the 1946 election there were 3 opposition senators, 33 government senators and no minor party or independent senators. Proportional representation has given minor parties and independent senators representation they wouldn’t have otherwise.