how are house of representatives and senate elected in australia
In Australia, members of the House of Representatives and Senate are elected through a democratic process. Here's a breakdown of how each chamber is elected:
1. House of Representatives:
- The House of Representatives consists of 151 members, representing different electoral divisions across Australia.
- Elections for the House of Representatives are held every three years, or sooner if the government is dissolved.
- The electoral system used is a preferential voting system known as Instant-Runoff Voting or the Alternative Vote.
- In each electoral division, citizens aged 18 years or older are eligible to vote for their preferred candidate by ranking them in order of preference.
- The candidate who receives an absolute majority (50%+1) of first-preference votes is elected as the representative for that division.
- If no candidate achieves an absolute majority, the candidate with the fewest first-preference votes is eliminated, and their votes are redistributed based on the next available preference until a candidate crosses the majority threshold.
2. Senate:
- The Senate consists of 76 members, representing both states and territories in Australia.
- Elections for the Senate are also held every three years, or sooner if the government is dissolved.
- The electoral system used is a preferential voting system known as Proportional Representation.
- Each state and territory is treated as a single electorate, and voters select their preferred candidates by ranking them in order of preference.
- Candidates must reach a minimum quota of votes to be elected, based on a formula that factors in the total number of formal votes and the total number of vacancies within each state or territory.
- Surplus votes beyond the quota for a candidate are redistributed to the next available preference until all seats are filled.
- The system of Proportional Representation allows for a diversity of parties and independent candidates to be elected.
It's important to note that the House of Representatives primarily focuses on the formation of government, while the Senate serves as a house of review, scrutinizing and amending legislation proposed by the government.