Elections in Australia

Elections In Australia

Australia elects a legislature – the Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia – using various electoral systems: see Australian electoral system. The Parliament consists of two chambers:

  • The House of Representatives has 150 members, elected for a three-year term in proportional single-member constituencies with a system of alternative vote known as preferential voting.
  • The Senate has 76 members, elected through a preferential system of proportional representation in 12-seat state constituencies and two-seat territorial constituencies with a system of single transferable vote. Electors choose territorial senators for non-fixed terms that are delimited by the election dates for the House of Representatives. The state senators serve for a six-year term that is fixed except in the case of a double dissolution, with half of the seats renewed every three years. In the event of a double dissolution, the terms of all the members of the Senate and the House of Representatives seats end immediately.

Australia has a de facto two-party system between the Australian Labor Party and the Coalition of the Liberal Party of Australia, National Party of Australia, the Liberal National Party and Country Liberal Party. It is very difficult for other parties to win representation in the House, let alone form the government. However, minor parties and independent candidates do have reasonable access to the Senate by virtue of its more favourable voting system. In recent decades, several parties besides the ALP and the Coalition have secured significant representation in the Senate, notably the D.L.P (1955–1974); the Australian Democrats (1977–2007); the Greens (WA) (1990–present) and the Australian Greens (1996–present). Independent and other individual senators have also exercised influence, e.g., Brian Harradine (1975–2005), Family First's Steve Fielding (2005–2011), and Nick Xenophon (2008-current); and, variously from 1984, representatives of the Nuclear Disarmament Party and One Nation.

Voting in Australian federal and state elections is compulsory.

Read more about Elections In Australia:  Election Timing, Caretaker Convention, Primary, Two Party Preferred (TPP) and Seat Results Since 1937

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