Preferential voting

[Crabnet]

I only know 5 Green voting adults from 2 families. That's it!

From Roy Morgan research.
A statistic about seat of Melbourne won by the Greens.

"More than 90% of voters who live in the Federal seat of Melbourne fall within Helix Community 200, known as Metrotechs. Well-educated, high-earning young singles, individuals matching the Metrotech profile have strong social consciences and are genuinely concerned about issues such as global warming, human rights and education standards. You could say Bandt was preaching to the converted.

If the Greens were to hang on to any seat around the country, Metrotech Melbourne was it."

 

[Olly]

Somewhere along the line I've missed out on learning how our voting system and preferences work. It seems that others here have also been misled and/or have differing opinions on how things work. Where do you learn this stuff? I don't remenber doing it at school.

I really tried researching it this year determined to vote below the line and make my vote count. Now I'm reading this thread and have no idea AGAIN! what happened to it.

Was there a list anywhere that spelled out simply who was doing what with peoples votes e.g "if we don't get enough votes we are going to give them to...... "

With so many differing opinions of how things work, with so many questions and uncertaintly on who needs what for what and who does what with votes - Isn't it a sad indictment of our system of voting that no-one fully understands it?

I think a booklet explaining it all in simple language is overdue!

 

[AlmostBob]

From Roy Morgan research.
A statistic about seat of Melbourne won by the Greens.

"More than 90% of voters who live in the Federal seat of Melbourne fall within Helix Community 200, known as Metrotechs. Well-educated, high-earning young singles, individuals matching the Metrotech profile have strong social consciences and are genuinely concerned about issues such as global warming, human rights and education standards. You could say Bandt was preaching to the converted.

If the Greens were to hang on to any seat around the country, Metrotech Melbourne was it."

left out the part,
"and are absolutely ignorant of anything outside of Metroland"

Food magically appears in stores wrapped in plastic
Oil, grows in litre bottles
Metal, makes wine cooler cans automatically

Everything else is SEP

 

[BayView]

Somewhere along the line I've missed out on learning how our voting system and preferences work. It seems that others here have also been misled and/or have differing opinions on how things work. Where do you learn this stuff? I don't remenber doing it at school.
!

They did......

That was the class where we were all asleep.

 

[Aaron_C]

Yes in year 6 all children go to Canberra and learn about the system in school. Although in year 6 you probably have more important things that you are thinking about than voting (which you wouldn't be doing for another 7 years).

 

[Strannik]

I think a booklet explaining it all in simple language is overdue!

that's why they invented how to vote cards

 

[Crabnet]

Somewhere along the line I've missed out on learning how our voting system and preferences work. It seems that others here have also been misled and/or have differing opinions on how things work. Where do you learn this stuff? I don't remember doing it at school.

Well one would have thought that a political party would distribute their preferences to those next in line that shared similar ideologies.

Perhaps that applied in the past but these days it's all about strategy.
Multiple front parties set up by the same people with party names chosen to deceptively attract votes. Then using preference harvesting to boost their final vote numbers.
Political parties preferencing parties with opposite views to disadvantage particular candidates.
Where do you learn how to subvert the democratic process? Join a party, turn to the dark side and become cynical.

 

[Nemo30]

that's why they invented how to vote cards

Not sure what yours said, but the ones I saw only had instructions to vote 1 above the line. Nothing about where the preferences were going.

 

[HiEquity]

If you want to know where your preferences are going then vote below the line! It's not that hard and if everyone did it we wouldn't have these deals and ridiculous outcomes.

 

[Aaron_C]

If you want to know where your preferences are going then vote below the line! It's not that hard and if everyone did it we wouldn't have these deals and ridiculous outcomes.

Filling out 100 candidates?

 

[BayView]

Filling out 100 candidates?

Correct.

My aim is to waste as little time as possible of my life voting for these people. In and out in less than 5 mins is the goal.

Yeah, I'm gunna get involved in learning bout 100 different variations of them.

Who honestly has the time, and/or the inclination or interest?

 

[Strannik]

Not sure what yours said, but the ones I saw only had instructions to vote 1 above the line. Nothing about where the preferences were going.

mine didn't say anything cause i did the postal

usually they say exactly how you should number the ballot paper (for the lower house). haven't seen cards for senate though, you might be right there

 

[HiEquity]

Filling out 100 candidates?

Correct.

My aim is to waste as little time as possible of my life voting for these people. In and out in less than 5 mins is the goal.

Yeah, I'm gunna get involved in learning bout 100 different variations of them.

Who honestly has the time, and/or the inclination or interest?

In WA it was 62. You vote for them all anyway whether you vote above or below the line - voting below the line is the only way to prevent other people directing your preferences. You can only complain about someone getting elected with 0.22% of the primary vote if you voted below the line - if you voted above you're complicit in the system that allows this to happen. Too lazy to take care...

 

[Aaron_C]

You can only complain about someone getting elected with 0.22% of the primary vote if you voted below the line - if you voted above you're complicit in the system that allows this to happen. Too lazy to take care...

Sure, and when you make a mistake because there are so many candidates and you number it incorrectly your vote becomes an informal one. Great outcome, right?

 

[Dazz]

You can only complain about someone getting elected with 0.22% of the primary vote if you voted below the line - if you voted above you're complicit in the system that allows this to happen. Too lazy to take care...

Your complaint....if you had one, would be baseless.

No-one is complicit in anything at all, and your conclusion that people are too lazy to care is also without foundation.

 

[BayView]

Too lazy to take care...

Pretty accurate.

Well not quite; most folk are too busy in their lives, and are far too jaded and disappointed by cr@p Politicians who promise the world and deliver atlases, and end up showing us that they are happy to rort, to lie, to cheat, to never answer a question, to waste our money...and so on.

And then get a golden handshake for the rest of their lives for being pretty much useless.

Look at the fiasco which has been the Labor Leadership in the last 6 years just for one example. And don't even start me on such issues as Craig Thompson and others.

Why would anyone bother to care, when all you seem to get is more of that sort of BS, year in and year out?

Plus, it is the most dingo-boring subject on the planet.

That is me, at least.

I've been voting Liberal for the last 34 years, and the sun still comes up every day.

So, I don't care, and am too busy.

 

[HiEquity]

Fair enough - I guess my post was borne of the frustration involved in talking to a reasonably large number of relatively intelligent people who had no idea how the system worked and weren't particularly interested in finding out. They only wanted to vote for one party above the line and refused to accept that in doing so they were also voting for all the others but in a way they probably didn't like.

So it's still my view that if we all voted below the line we would have a far more democratic outcome than the above the line system which allows someone to get elected on 0.22% of the primary vote...

 

[Corey Batt]

Fair enough - I guess my post was borne of the frustration involved in talking to a reasonably large number of relatively intelligent people who had no idea how the system worked and weren't particularly interested in finding out. They only wanted to vote for one party above the line and refused to accept that in doing so they were also voting for all the others but in a way they probably didn't like.

So it's still my view that if we all voted below the line we would have a far more democratic outcome than the above the line system which allows someone to get elected on 0.22% of the primary vote...

And a huge amount of people would lose their vote due to minor mistakes and the inability for assessors to differentiate '1's and '7's etc.

Sitting in the count on election night, a lot of proactive and concerned individuals had their ballot spoiled, whilst above the lines accepted.

The senate voting system needs to be simplified. Currently it doesn't serve the best interests of voters in showing their intention. We are actively encouraging uninformed voting when we suggest voting below the line with 100+ running parties.

 

[HiEquity]

The senate voting system needs to be simplified. Currently it doesn't serve the best interests of voters in showing their intention. We are actively encouraging uninformed voting when we suggest voting below the line with 100+ running parties.

Agreed. The membership and deposit thresholds for political parties also need to increase to prevent these tablecloth sized ballot papers...

 

[Crabnet]

Agreed. The membership and deposit thresholds for political parties also need to increase to prevent these tablecloth sized ballot papers...

I'm not sure I agree with that.
Doesn't the Beekeepers for Taller Buildings Party have as much right to nominate as the Laborels?
I think the idea of preference voting above the line is a good one.
Pick as many as you like between say 5 or 6 or mark the whole line in preference order,
or vote below the line.