8 November 2001

Senators are elected using a proportional representation system and to be elected they must win a specific proportion (or quota) of the formal votes.

The counting process for the Senate is lengthy and complicated. However, a computerised Senate counting system was used for the first time at the 1998 federal election. It took just over three weeks to count the Senate votes in all States and Territories, compared with the six weeks it has taken at previous elections. 

The Senate Ballot Paper

The Senate ballot papers are white and are divided into two sections by a black line.

Voters can either vote below the line and mark every box on the ballot paper with a preference number, or they can use the Group Ticket Voting option. In this case they place the figure '1' in the box for the party or group of their choice above the line

In this section, the voter's preferences are counted according to the way in which that party or group has registered them with the Electoral Commission.

Posters and pamphlets showing the order of preferences lodged with the AEC are available in all polling centres.

Although the option of group ticket voting is available, the elector can still choose to express his or her own preferences by voting below the line.

Working out the Quota

The quota is worked out by dividing the total number of formal ballot papers by one more than the number of vacancies to be filled and by adding 1 to the result (ignoring any remainder). The calculation may look like this, as it did in New South Wales for the 1998 Senate Election:

3 755 725 + 1 = 536 533
(6+1)

Therefore, the quota in NSW at the 1998 election was 536 533.

Counting the first preference votes

This is done as for a House of Representatives election: the papers are sorted according to which candidate has received the number 1 preference on each ballot paper.

Candidates who receive a quota, or more than a quota of these first preference votes are elected immediately.

Transferring the surplus

Any surplus votes these elected candidates receive (i.e. votes in excess of the quota ) are transferred to the candidates who were the second choice of the voters. However, they are transferred at a reduced value because the first candidate has already used some of the value of these votes being elected.

As a result of this process other candidates may be elected. If, however, all surplus votes from elected candidates are transferred and there are still some unfilled positions, another stage of the count begins:

Exclusion of unsuccessful candidates

Starting with the candidate who has the least number of votes, unelected candidates are excluded from the count and their votes are passed on to the remaining candidates to whom the voters have given their preferences. The above process continues until all Senate positions are filled.

Example

In this example three Senators are to be elected. The total number of formal votes for the 'State' is 2400. Therefore, the QUOTA = 2400 / (3+1) + 1 = 601.

All the ballot papers are then examined to see how many first preference votes each candidate received.

Maria 240
Linh 550
Gerard 730
Jacqui 140
Kevin 590
Monica 150

2400 votes

Gerard is the only candidate to receive the quota of 601 immediately and so is elected. The 129 votes he received in excess of the quota are called surplus votes. The surplus of 129 is transferred to the remaining candidates by transferring all Gerard's votes at less than their full value:

No. of surplus votes________________= 129

Total no.of Gerard's 1^st preference votes 730

Therefore the transfer value = 0.177

_____________________________________________________________________

The list below shows the number of second preferences received by each candidate on Gerard's 730 ballot papers.

Maria 100
Linh 400
Jacqui 20
Kevin 150
Monica 60

These ballot papers are then multiplied by their transfer value and then added to the first preference totals.

Transfer + 1^st Pref = New

Votes Votes Total

Maria 100 x 0.177 = 18 + 240 = 258

Linh 400 x 0.177 = 71 + 550 = 621

Jacqui 20 x 0.177 = 3 + 140 = 143

Kevin 150 x 0.177 = 26 + 590 = 616

Monica 60 x 0.177 = 11 + 150 = 161

Now that Linh and Kevin have also reached the quota, the three vacancies have been filled.

Note: If all the vacancies have not been filled after the surplus votes have been transferred the candidate with the lowest number of votes excluded. This person's ballot papers are distributed according to preferences ( at their full value) to the remaining candidates. The distribution of preferences from excluded candidates continues until the required number of senators is elected.