A Basic Guide to the Preferential Voting System

When you go into the polling booth, you probably know who you want to vote for and who you don't. So why bother putting more than one vote on the ballot paper? If you are voting for a one of the major parties and are not concerned with any of the minor parties, then placing just 1 in a box is probably an accurate representation of your voting intention. But if you support a minor party, but don't think they will win the seat, you may want to consider getting more out of your vote.

By placing the minor party first, you have registered your preference and if you place no other preference, your vote will end there. If you hold a personal preference for who you would like to win the seat if your candidate does not, then your second preference will act as a second vote, or even a third.

If there are more candidates your vote could bounce back for several lives as a multi-value vote! Until one candidate has over 50% of the total votes, no one can be declared a winner. At each round, the candidate with the smallest number of votes is eliminated. Then the ballot papers which had gone to that particular candidate are redistributed according to the next preferences chosen by those voters. So, at each round, your ballot paper goes forward once more, until one candidate has more than 50% (usually a major party) and the game ends!

This can make a big difference in the end to which major player gets the majority and is the great advantage of the preference system. Knowing that the preferences can tip the balance, the major parties will make deals, such as promises on environmental issues, which the Greens can hold them to if they win power. In return the minor parties, such as the Greens direct their preferences accordingly.

But, remember, parties can only direct (recommend) preferences, not dictate them; it is the voter, and only the voter, who decides which party will receive their particular preferences. Only when voting for the Senate, in a Federal election, can you allow a party to determine your preferences (by voting just one above the line).

More: http://www.eca.gov.au/systems/single/by_category/preferential.htm

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