Preferential voting how does it work

The boxes below the line represent each candidate. They are listed by group and ungrouped. If you are enrolled in Melbourne City Council and you choose to vote below the line, you must number all boxes.

A correctly completed ballot paper is known as a formal vote. Formal votes are counted to determine the result of the election. A ballot paper that has not been completed correctly is known as an informal vote. Informal votes cannot be counted toward the election result. If after nominations close the number of candidates is the same as the number of vacancies, those candidates are elected without the need for a vote.

This is called being elected unopposed. If nobody nominates as a candidate, no voting takes place and another election is held as soon as possible.

For local council elections, if there are fewer candidates than vacancies, the candidates who nominated are declared elected. A by-election is held for the remaining vacancies. Please enable JavaScript in order to get the best experience when using this site.

Enrol to vote Download enrolment forms. Current elections South Gippsland Shire Council election. If a ballot paper repeats a number or does not number each of the boxes, then it is informal and cannot be counted.

So all voters are advised to be careful, and number each of the boxes on the ballot. In other words, the winning candidate is supported by at least half the voters. The candidate who has the highest number of votes at the first stage of the count first preferences does not necessarily win. It can happen that a candidate with fewer first preferences, nevertheless goes on to win.

The most notable case was at the election in the federal division of McMillan, in rural Victoria:. This left four candidates in the count.

That did not happen, so the continuing candidate with the fewest votes, Houlihan, was excluded. Read more: A matter of mis trust: why this election is posing problems for the media. When both Buchanan and Houlihan had been excluded and their ballots transferred, the third count was as follows:. Arranged in front of her are four piles of green House of Representatives ballot papers. The woman holds up a ballot paper to show the candidate that has the first preference on that ballot.

Narrator: When all the votes are in, the counters add up all of the first preferences for each candidate and we end up with these scores. Now we eliminate the person with the least votes. Sorry Kodi. The woman holds up a ballot paper to show the candidate that has the second preference on that ballot. Narrator: But the people who voted for Kodi still get a say. The counters go back to all of her votes and see what people put as their second preference.

Narrator: Those votes get added to the totals of the remaining candidates. So, Joshua gets eliminated and we add up the preferences again. Narrator: Now Kyle has and Annabel has Narrator: Because preferences are so important, political parties often try to convince people to order their choice in a way that suits them the best. In the end, it is up to voters to choose who they like the best. Having your say Elections and voting Getting involved.

Preferential voting When you vote for your local member of the House of Representatives you need to decide who you like the most, the second most and so on.

Want to know more? Federal elections Parliamentary Education Office. Girl 2: What do you want to watch? Boy 1: Sweet! A scary movie Narrator: When a group of people have to make a decision together, it can get complicated. Girl 1 stops the arguing and holds up each DVD in turn.

The 2 boys put up their hand. Girl 1: Alright! Girl 4 puts up her hand.