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House of Representatives (Lower House): How to Vote

• What You’re Voting For: One Member of Parliament (MP) for your local electorate (e.g., Curtin, Sydney)—151 seats total across Australia.
• How It Works: You rank all candidates on the ballot in order of preference to elect a single winner who needs over 50% of the vote. It’s called "full preferential" because you must number every box.
• Steps to Vote:
• Get Your Ballot: It’s a green paper listing candidates for your electorate (no “above the line” option here).
• Number Every Box: Write a number next to each candidate’s name in the order you prefer them—1 for your top pick, 2 for your next, and so on—until every candidate has a unique number. For example, if there are 6 candidates, number them 1 to 6.
• No Skips or Repeats: Every box needs a number, and you can’t use the same number twice (e.g., two 1s) or leave any blank—otherwise, it’s informal (won’t count).
• Counting Process:
• They tally all the 1s first. If no one gets over 50% of formal votes, the candidate with the fewest 1s is eliminated.
• That candidate’s votes go to the next preference (your 2s on those ballots). This repeats—eliminating the lowest each round—until someone hits 50%+1.
• Your vote keeps moving down your list until it lands on a winner or runs out of preferences (but since you number all, it’ll always count somewhere).
• Example: If your 1 is knocked out, your 2 gets your vote. If 2’s out too, it goes to 3, and so on, until it helps pick the winner.

Senate (Upper House): How to Vote

• What You’re Voting For: Senators for your state or territory—12 per state, 2 per territory (ACT and NT). Half the state senators (6) and all territory senators (2) are elected every three years, totaling 40 seats in a standard election (76 total senators).
• How It Works: Uses proportional representation with a single transferable vote (STV). You can vote “above the line” for parties/groups or “below the line” for individual candidates. It’s "optional preferential"—you don’t have to rank everyone, but the best way to ensure your vote has maximum impact is to number all the boxes.
• Steps to Vote:
• Get Your Ballot: It’s a white paper with party/group boxes above a thick horizontal line and individual candidates below it (e.g., 12+ groups and 50–100+ candidates per state in 2022).
• Choose One Method: Pick either above-the-line or below-the-line voting—don’t mix both, or it’s informal.
• Above the Line (Party/Group Vote):
1. Put a “1” in the box of your favorite party or group (e.g., Labor, Liberals, Greens).
2. The minimum is 1, but you should number all the group boxes in the order of your preference—2, 3, 4, and so on—until every group has a unique number to make your vote count. This keeps your preferences flowing to as many candidates as possible, maximizing your say in who gets elected.
3. Leave the below-the-line section blank.
• Below the Line (Candidate Vote):
1. Number at least 6 candidates with 1 to 6 in the order you prefer them (e.g., 1 for your top pick, 2 for next, up to 6)—that’s the minimum for a formal vote.
2. For a full preference vote, it’s worth numbering all candidates—say, 1 to 80 or more, depending on your state in 2022—to keep your vote active right to the end. It takes a bit longer but ensures you influence every seat.
3. Leave the above-the-line section blank.
• Counting Process:
• Quota: To win, a candidate needs a quota—total formal votes divided by (seats to be filled + 1), plus 1. For a state half-Senate election (6 seats) with 5 million votes (e.g., NSW 2022 estimate), quota ≈ 714,286 (14.29%). For territories (2 seats), it’s ~33.33%.
• Above the Line: Your numbers flow to candidates within your 1st group first, then to your 2nd group’s candidates, and so on, as per their party order (no group voting tickets since 2016—your order rules). Numbering all boxes ensures your vote keeps working through eliminations or surpluses.
• Below the Line: Your 1 goes to that candidate. If they hit the quota, any extra votes (surplus) transfer to your 2 at a reduced value. If your 1’s eliminated (fewest votes), it moves to your 2 full-strength. This repeats until your vote elects someone or runs out.
• Endgame: In states, once 6 are elected (or 2 in territories), or if candidates left equal vacancies, they’re in—even if short of the quota.
• Example: Above the line, numbering all groups in your preferred order means your vote could flow from Greens to Labor to an independent if earlier picks win or lose; below, numbering all candidates keeps your vote bouncing till the last seat’s filled.