Ruqayyah Snyder
Australia's electoral system is governed by the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 and has several distinctive features, including compulsory enrolment and voting for citizens over 18, majority-preferential instant-runoff voting, and the use of the single transferable vote proportional representation system to elect the upper house, the Senate. Federal elections are held at least once every three years, with the next due in 2025. Australia's Parliament consists of two chambers: the House of Representatives (lower house) and the Senate (upper house). Each state elects 12 senators, while each territory elects two. State senators usually serve fixed six-year terms, with half of the seats in each state expiring every three years. Voting takes place in person or by postal vote, with mobile polling places in remote areas, hospitals, and retirement villages. Australia's electoral system has evolved over time, with each state and territory having unique features, such as the use of proportional representation in Tasmania and the abolition of the upper house in Queensland.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Voting eligibility | Australian citizens aged 18 years or older who are living overseas and intend to return to Australia within six years |
| Federal elections | Must be held at least once every three years |
| Two-party preferred (TPP) count | A comparison of the current percentage of national TPP votes for each party compared to the previous federal election |
| Two candidate preferred (TCP) | A count of the two leading candidates only; votes are recorded for a particular candidate if the preference on the ballot for that candidate is higher than the alternative TCP candidate |
| TCP unavailable | Used when less than 15.00% of the TCP count has been conducted |
| Close seat | Used when more than 15.00% of the TCP count has been conducted and the current margin is less than 6.00% |
| 2025 Federal Election results | Labor gains in the Sunshine State; wins in Peter Dutton's seat of Dickson, as well as nearby seats like Petrie, Longman, Bonner, and Forde; Liberal Party wiped out of Tasmania and metropolitan Adelaide |
| 2024 NSW State election results | Liberal Party of Australia wins in Port Macquarie and Epping; Jacqui Scruby, Independent, wins in Hornsby; National Party of Australia wins in Pittwater |
| 2023 NSW State election results | Re-election of the Liberal/National Coalition Government to a third four-year term in the Legislative Assembly |
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What You'll Learn
Voting rules and eligibility
Voting in Australia is a complex process with several rules and eligibility criteria. Firstly, enrolment on the electoral roll is compulsory for all Australian citizens aged 18 and above. This includes Australian citizens living overseas who intend to return to Australia within six years. Voting itself is also compulsory for those on the electoral roll, and failure to do so without a valid reason can result in a fine.
The Australian Parliament consists of two chambers: the House of Representatives (lower house) and the Senate (upper house). The House of Representatives has 150 members, each representing a single-member constituency of roughly equal size. Members are elected for a maximum term of three years, and voters must assign a number to each candidate on the ballot paper, indicating their preference. If a candidate receives an absolute majority of first-preference votes, they are elected.
The Senate, on the other hand, has 76 senators, with each state constituting a single constituency returning 6 senators every three years, and each territory returning 2 senators. Senators are elected through a system of proportional representation using a single transferable vote. Voters can choose to vote "above-the-line" or "below-the-line". In a half-Senate election, only half of the state senators are elected, ensuring that the terms of the senators are staggered.
Each state and territory also has its own unique electoral system and rules. For example, Tasmania is the only state to use proportional representation to elect its lower house, while Queensland is the only state with a unicameral parliament. The right to vote has also been extended at different times to different groups, such as women of European descent and Indigenous Australians.
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Historical context
Voting in Australia has a long and complex history, with the nation's voting systems and regulations evolving over time to reflect changing social and political circumstances.
In the 19th century, when the Australian colonies were granted responsible government, the constitutions of each colony introduced bicameral parliaments based on the Westminster system. Suffrage at this time was limited to adult males, and in some states, such as Queensland and Western Australia, indigenous Australians were specifically denied the right to vote. To address this discrimination, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples campaigned for many years to achieve full voting rights. These rights were granted federally in 1962, and in Queensland, the last state to lift restrictions, in 1965.
During the 1850s, an independent electoral body was established to ensure fair elections, and the "Australian ballot", or secret ballot, was implemented to protect voters from intimidation and coercion. In the late 19th century, the women's suffrage movement gained momentum, advocating for equal electoral rights for women. In 1894, the South Australian Parliament granted women's suffrage, and the remaining colonies gradually followed suit.
Compulsory voting was introduced in 1924 to improve low voter turnout rates, and it remains a feature of the Australian electoral system today. The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC), established in 1984, is now responsible for organising, conducting, and supervising federal elections, by-elections, and referendums. The AEC also maintains the Commonwealth electoral roll and sets electoral boundaries.
Each state and territory in Australia has its own electoral regulations and, in some cases, unique voting systems. For example, Tasmania is the only state to use proportional representation to elect its lower house, while the Parliament of Queensland is unicameral, consisting of a single legislative assembly.
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Voting methods
Voting in Australia is compulsory for all citizens over the age of 18. Citizens can vote in person at any polling place in their state on the election day or in early voting locations, or by applying for and mailing in a postal vote. Absentee voting is also available.
The Australian Parliament consists of two chambers: the House of Representatives (lower house) and the Senate (upper house). The House of Representatives has 150 members, elected for a maximum term of three years in single-member constituencies. The Senate has 76 senators, with 12 senators representing each state and 2 senators representing each territory. Senators are elected for fixed six-year terms, with half of the seats in each state expiring every three years.
The House of Representatives uses a system of preferential voting, also known as alternative voting or instant-runoff voting. Voters must write a number in each box on the ballot paper, ranking candidates in order of preference. If a candidate gets an absolute majority of first preference votes, they are elected.
The Senate uses a system of single transferable vote proportional representation, with each state constituting a single constituency. Tasmania is the only state to use proportional representation to elect its lower house, using a form of single transferable vote known as the Hare-Clark system. South Australia's upper house also uses a single transferable vote system, with optional preferential voting.
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Election frequency
In Australia, federal elections must be held at least once every three years. The Governor-General determines the date of the election upon the request of the government. State senators are elected for fixed six-year terms, with half of the seats in each state expiring every three years. This is known as a half-Senate election.
The Parliament of South Australia is a bicameral legislature. The House of Assembly (lower house) comprises 47 members elected by full preferential voting every four years from single-member electorates. The Legislative Council (upper house) comprises 22 members elected by proportional representation of a single transferable vote every eight years.
The Parliament of Queensland is unicameral, consisting of the Legislative Assembly of 93 members elected for a four-year term from single-member electorates using full preferential voting.
Tasmania is the only state to use proportional representation to elect its lower house. Tasmania uses a form of STV known as the Hare-Clark system, introduced in 1909. Elections in Tasmania are conducted on a six-year periodic cycle. Elections for three members are held in May one year, with elections for two members held in May the following year, and so on.
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State-by-state differences
Australia has a bicameral parliamentary system, with a lower house (House of Representatives) and an upper house (Senate). The lower house has 150 members, each representing a single-member constituency. The upper house has 76 senators, with 12 senators representing each of the six states and two senators representing each of the two territories.
While the federal structure of the Australian parliament is uniform across the country, there are some state-by-state differences in the electoral systems and processes. Here are some examples:
South Australia: The South Australian Legislative Council has 22 members elected under a preferential single transferable voting system. South Australia's upper house uses optional preferential voting, where voters mark '1' for their first preference and can optionally provide further preferences. South Australia also has unique features in its elections, such as requiring a nomination form signed by the candidate and either two electors or the Registered Officer of a political party.
Tasmania: Tasmania is the only state to use proportional representation to elect its lower house, employing the Hare-Clark system. The Tasmanian Legislative Council has 15 members, each representing one of 15 electoral divisions. Elections are held every six years, with elections for three members in one year and two members the next year, in a cycle. Tasmania, along with Victoria and South Australia, introduced secret balloting in 1856.
Queensland: Queensland's parliament is unicameral, consisting of the Legislative Assembly with 93 members elected for a four-year term. The state introduced compulsory voting in 1915 and was the last state to lift restrictions on indigenous people voting in 1965. Queensland also has a threshold for public funding of 6% of the primary vote.
Western Australia: Western Australia maintains its own electoral roll, separate from the Australian Electoral Roll used by other states and territories. In terms of voting rights, Western Australia removed restrictions on indigenous people voting in 1964.
Victoria: Victoria does not have public funding for parties and candidates during elections. In 2010, a Victorian government review found low enrolment rates among prisoners, despite their eligibility and obligation to vote. Victoria introduced compulsory voting for the Legislative Assembly in 1927 and for Legislative Council elections in 1935.
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