Preferential voting - your guide to making your vote count
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.
