There is a lot of media attention about preference deals in the Upper House and where your vote might end up. Of particular concern to shooters is a circumstance where minor party votes in the Northern Victorian region could help an Animal Justice Party candidate to get elected. The way to avoid this happening is for shooters to vote ‘below the line’. If you vote ‘below the line’ you only need to number 5 preferences (you can do more if you wish) and your vote stops where you want it to.
WHAT’S THE DEAL WITH PREFERENCES?
A lot of discussion around the State Election, especially regarding minor parties, centres around where preferences go.
In Victoria, we use versions of the preferential voting system. In this system, you choose candidates on a ballot paper in the order of your preference. If your preferred candidate cannot get enough votes to win, your vote can count for your next preferred candidate.
At the 2018 State Election, the proportion of below the line votes was 8.8%, more than double the rate it was in 2010. In 2018 as many as three of the Upper House positions were determined by below the line voting.
FULL PREFERENTIAL VOTING
In full preferential voting you:
Write a number 1 in the box for your most-preferred candidate
Number all remaining boxes in the order you prefer.
If you do not number every box, your vote will not be counted.
Full preferential voting is used in Lower House. Candidates will often hand you a ‘how to vote’ card – these are a guide only, your preference in the lower house is determined by you.
OPTIONAL PREFERENTIAL VOTING
In optional preferential voting you don’t have to fill in all the boxes on the ballot paper.
There will be a thick, black line across the page in ballot papers for the Upper House.
You can vote above the line or below the line.
Always follow the instructions on the ballot paper so your vote is counted.
Above the line
The boxes above the line are groups of candidates that have registered one or more group voting tickets.
To vote above the line, write the number 1 in the box for the group you want to support.
When you vote above the line, your preferences will be decided by the group voting ticket.
A group voting ticket is a statement on how each party or group gives preferences to candidates. Every registered group voting ticket is made available on the VEC website before an election and is also on display in every voting centre.
Below the line
The boxes below the line represent each candidate. They are listed by group and ungrouped.
To vote below the line:
Write a number 1 in the box for your most-preferred candidate
Continue to number at least 5 boxes on the ballot paper in the order you prefer (and keep numbering if you wish).
If you choose to vote below the line, you have control over your preferences.
SHENANIGANS…ADDING TO THE INTRIGUE ABOUT UPPER HOUSE PREFERENCES
At the 2014 and 2018 elections an alliance of micro party used a strategy with the above the line voting system to direct preferences within the group to concentrate on specific candidates in the various Upper House regions. This system has seen preferences traded pragmatically rather than ideology and has been based on trust. Whilst that alliance is still operating this year, it appears that the Animal Justice Party has ‘double crossed’ its alliance partners, getting strong preference flows to them in two regions, but not reciprocating anywhere. Election analyst Ben Raue gives a rundown on the shenanigans at a more technical level on his website.
SEE THE PREFERENCES FOR YOURSELF?
All of the group voting tickets are published by the Victorian Electoral Commission on their website, the formatting however makes them difficult to read and follow. The ABC’s Chief Election Analyst, Antony Green, has gone to the effort of laying the preference flows out in a far more accessible form on his own election blog. You can read about and view the group voting tickets on Antony’s site here.
Authorised by Barry Howlett, SSAA Victoria, Unit 3, 26 Ellingworth Parade, Box Hill
