Preferential Voting System - Legislative Assembly

Preferential Voting

Example: Full Distribution of Preferences

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Result

Preferential Voting

Preferential voting is a system whereby a candidate must poll an absolute majority of the total formal votes (ie in excess of 50%) in order to be elected to the vacancy.

Under a full preferential system, a voter is required to indicate a preference for each candidate on the ballot paper by using the numbers 1, 2, 3 and so on up to the number of candidates. If, after all first preference votes have been counted, no candidate has obtained an absolute majority of all formal votes, then the candidate with the fewest number of first preference votes is excluded from the count. The excluded candidate's second preference votes are then distributed to the remaining candidates at this stage.

If, after that exclusion, no candidate has obtained an absolute majority of formal votes, the next remaining candidate with the fewest votes is excluded and all of his or her votes (second preferences and those received from the previously excluded candidate) are distributed to the remaining candidates.

The process is continued until one candidate is elected by obtaining an absolute majority of formal votes. The absolute majority is calculated excluding informal and exhausted votes. An example of the above process is shown below for the Armadale District in 1996.

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Example: Full Distribution of Preferences

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Step 1

The absolute majority required at this stage of the count is 10,878. As no candidate has achieved this on first preference votes, Watson, the candidate with the fewest number of first preference votes is excluded. The excluded candidate's second preference votes are then distributed to the remaining candidates. These votes are then added to the remaining candidates' progressive totals. Exhausted votes are formal; however, these are not added to any candidate's total as no consecutive preference has been indicated for the remaining candidates' e.g. 1,2,2,2 or 1,2,3,3.

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Step 2

At this stage the absolute majority is now 10,875. As no candidate has yet achieved this, Fokkema, the candidate with the fewest number of votes following the first distribution (4,539) is next to be excluded. The excluded candidate's second preference votes from the first preferences (4,036) are then distributed to the remaining candidates. The third preference votes from the first distribution (503) are also distributed to the remaining candidates. These votes are then added to their progressive total.

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Step 3

There are now only two candidates remaining and the candidate with the absolute majority is elected. The absolute majority at this stage of the count is now 10,858, with the 40 exhausted votes having the effect of reducing the total valid votes included in the calculation of the absolute majority.

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Result

Alannah MacTiernan (ALP) is elected as the Member for Armadale with a majority of 1,750 votes.

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