Like what you've read?

On Line Opinion is the only Australian site where you get all sides of the story. We don't
charge, but we need your support. Here�s how you can help.

  • Advertise

    We have a monthly audience of 70,000 and advertising packages from $200 a month.

  • Volunteer

    We always need commissioning editors and sub-editors.

  • Contribute

    Got something to say? Submit an essay.


 The National Forum   Donate   Your Account   On Line Opinion   Forum   Blogs   Polling   About   
On Line Opinion logo ON LINE OPINION - Australia's e-journal of social and political debate

Subscribe!
Subscribe





On Line Opinion is a not-for-profit publication and relies on the generosity of its sponsors, editors and contributors. If you would like to help, contact us.
___________

Syndicate
RSS/XML


RSS 2.0

How optional preferential voting works

By Graham Young - posted Wednesday, 31 January 2001


For those who have come in late to the Queensland political scene, a brief explanation of what I am talking about. In Queensland, voters are able number each square on their ballot paper in order of their preference so that if the candidate who is their first choice is excluded their vote will pass on to the candidate of their second or subsequent choice. For example, there might be four candidates for a seat. Assume that their votes are - National (38 per cent), Labor (19 per cent) Independent (5.5 per cent) and One Nation (37.5 per cent), as in the table below.

 

First Distribution %

Second Distribution

%

Final Distribution %

National

38.00

39.00

52.00

Labor

19.00

19.00

-

Independent

5.50

-

 
One Nation

37.50

40.50

42.50

Exhausted  

1.50

5.50

Total

100

100

100

In this case none of the candidates has achieved 50 per cent of the vote on first preferences. The returning officer would go to the next-lowest scoring candidate - the Independent - and look at each ballot to see where second preferences were allocated. For argument’s sake 3 per cent might have given 2nd preference to One Nation, and 1 per cent to the National Party, with the other 1.5 per cent not indicating a preference. Still no one has more than 50 per cent of the vote, so the Labor vote is distributed. In this hypothetical example 13 per cent goes to the Nat, 4 per cent exhausts and the rest goes to One Nation. Result - National Party candidate takes 52.0 per cent of the vote and is declared the winner.

Advertisement

While the National Party and the Labor Party are arch enemies, in this case the Labor Party has ensured the election of the National Party candidate.

Let’s roll the reel back to the scene in our hypothetical to where the ALP preferences are counted. Alert readers will have realised that at this stage the National Party is sitting on 39 per cent, Labor on 19 per cent and One Nation on 40.5 per cent. If there was no allocation of Labor preferences the One Nation candidate would have 51 per cent of the remaining vote and would win.

 

First Distribution %

Second Distribution

%

Final Distribution %

National

38.00

39.00

39.00

Labor

19.00

19.00

-

Independent

5.50

-

 
One Nation

37.50

40.50

40.50

Exhausted  

1.50

20.50

Total

100

100

100

This is more than academic as the hypothetical example that I have given is modelled on the results in Callide in the last election. In the last State Election three other seats - Burnett, Crow’s Nest and Gympie - would also have gone to One Nation if Labor had not allocated preferences, giving them 15 rather than 11.

  1. Pages:
  2. Page 1
  3. All


Discuss in our Forums

See what other readers are saying about this article!

Click here to read & post comments.

Share this:
reddit this reddit thisbookmark with del.icio.us Del.icio.usdigg thisseed newsvineSeed NewsvineStumbleUpon StumbleUponsubmit to propellerkwoff it

About the Author

Graham Young is chief editor and the publisher of On Line Opinion. He is executive director of the Australian Institute for Progress, an Australian think tank based in Brisbane, and the publisher of On Line Opinion.

Other articles by this Author

All articles by Graham Young
Related Links
Electoral Commission of Queensland

Creative Commons LicenseThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

Photo of Graham Young
Article Tools
Comment Comments
Print Printable version
Subscribe Subscribe
Email Email a friend
Advertisement

About Us Search Discuss Feedback Legals Privacy