What is the difference between first past the post and preferential voting?

The candidate who polls the highest number of formal votes, – even if that number is not more than 50% plus one of the formal votes – is elected.

2. Majoritarian/Majority

Under the majority system, a candidate must receive an absolute majority of votes to be elected. The Commonwealth House of Representatives uses a majoritarian electoral system.

In Australia majority systems are sometimes called preferential systems. However, the term "preferential" refers to a voter being able to indicate an order of preference for the candidates on the ballot paper.

Exhaustive preferential (sometimes called Block Majority) is a variation of a majority system that can be used in multi-member electorates. Under this system, once a candidate is elected, all ballot papers are returned to the count to elect the next member.

3. Proportional Representation (PR)

Proportional representation systems are used for elections in multi-member electorates to elect candidates who receive a set proportion of the vote. In Australia, these systems are classified into two categories – List Systems and Single Transferable Vote (STV).

List Systems are used in multi-member electorates where the elector indicates an order of preference for the parties which then choose candidates to be elected as members of the parliament. In Single Transferable Vote, the voter indicates an order of preference for individual candidates.

All Australian Proportional Representation systems are STV types, although the South Australian, Western Australian and NSW Upper Houses and the Senate may be thought of as Semi-list Systems as the ballot paper provides for above the line voting or left and right of the line in the case of Western Australia.

Preferential Voting

The term preferential refers to the voter being required to indicate an order of preference for candidates on the ballot paper. Different types of preferential voting include:

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Hi Alex, thanks for your question.

The way people vote in Australia has changed a lot over time. The first federal election in 1902 used ‘first-past-the-post’ voting for both the Senate and the House of Representatives. Preferential voting was introduced for both the Senate and House in 1918, and is still used to elect members of the House of Representatives.

Preferential voting results in the election of candidates supported by the majority – more than half – of voters. This is because candidates must get over 50% of the vote. In first-past-the-post voting, candidates only need to get the most votes.

Proportional representation was introduced for Senate elections in 1948. In part, this was a response to the lopsided results of previous elections. For example, after the 1946 election there were 3 opposition senators, 33 government senators and no minor party or independent senators. Proportional voting has given minor parties and independent senators representation they wouldn’t have otherwise.

Under this system, the voter casts a single vote for the candidate of their choice. The candidate who receives the most votes is elected.

First-past-the-post is an easy voting method for schools, as voters only need to choose their first preference. You can also use first-past-the-post to elect candidates to two positions, for example school captain and vice-captain. The candidate with the most votes is elected to the senior position while the candidate with the second-most votes fills the other position.

From Federation in 1901 until 1917, Australia used the first-past-the-post voting system which was inherited from the United Kingdom. This system is still used in many countries today including the United States, Canada and India, but no longer used in Australia.

Preferential voting

Instructions on ballot paper

Number all the boxes in order of your choice.

The essence of preferential voting is that voters rank the candidates in the order of their choice. Voters put the number 1 next to their first choice, 2 next to their second choice, and so on. This means that if a voter's first choice of candidate is not elected, their vote may be re-examined and their other preferences taken into account. In this way, candidates can build an absolute majority of support (more than 50% of the votes) rather than the simple majority required under first-past-the-post voting.

Although more complicated, preferential voting delivers a result that is satisfactory to more voters.

The first use of preferential voting occurred in an Australian federal election in 1917 in a by-election in Victoria. It was then introduced at the next general election for both houses of federal parliament.

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