What is preferential voting and how does it work? Your guide to making your vote count

By Robert Hortle, Deputy Director, Tasmanian Policy Exchange, University of Tasmania
Logan Linkston, Graduate Researcher, Tasmanian Policy Exchange, University of Tasmania

For each Australian federal election, there are two different ways you get to vote.

Whether you vote early, by post or on polling day on May 3, each eligible voter will be given two ballot papers: one for the House of Representatives (the “lower house”) and one for the Senate (the “upper house”). Each of these two ballots uses a slightly different system, so it’s worth understanding how your numbered boxes translate into real results.

Knowing how preferences work is key to making your vote count, before you get to enjoy your hard-earned democracy sausage.

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~	Algeria: Authorities step up crackdown on peaceful dissent in the face of new expressions of discontent

~	Friday essay: ‘War has made me a pacifist’. Why are we so reluctant to acknowledge Australia’s anti-war veterans?

~	US/Panama: Mass Expulsion of Third-Country Nationals

~	US: Trump’s First 100 Days an Assault on Rights

~	Election meme hits and duds – we’ve graded some of the best (and worst) of the campaign so far

~	Markets are choppy. What should you do with your super if you are near retirement?

~	Why AUKUS remains the right strategy for the future defence of Australia

~	This may be as good as it gets: NZ and Australia face a complicated puzzle when it comes to supermarket prices

~	The phrase ‘fuzzy wuzzy angels’ is far from affectionate – it reflects 500 years of racism

~	More than 40 years on, the NSW Aboriginal Land Rights Act speaks to an enduring desire for a strong future

What is preferential voting and how does it work? Your guide to making your vote count

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© The Conversation - Thursday, April 24, 2025