Styx Forest. Tasmania founded 1825. photo: pixabay.com
The Election process is a Preferential System modelled on the Senate Ballot Paper, but with significant differences.
This system allows the State or Territory Government to nominate their own candidate, and because it will require a two-thirds vote it will require consensus from all sides of the political arena. This person will be known as the “Endorsed Primary Candidate.”
Therefore this candidate is the representative chosen by the State or Territories Parliament, rather than an individual parties candidate.
The State or Territory will determine how they make the decision to choose a Primary Candidate and the preferences, that is , the Lower House or Lower and Upper Houses. (The Exceptions are Queensland and Northern Territory which only have a Lower House.)
Above the Line
The State or Territories’ Endorsed Primary Candidate (EPC) will take the top position on the Ballot Paper.
This candidate must endorsed by a minimum of two-thirds (66.7) of votes. If the State or Territory cannot reach a consensus, that State or Territory will forfeit the right to nominate an Endorsed Primary Candidate.
An X, or tick/check mark, or a 1 in the box above the line is all that is required to be a legal vote.
Below the Line
All candidates nominated go “below the line.” The Candidates below the line require a preferential voting, with a numbering of all the candidates: 1,2,3,4,5
The Parliament’s candidate always takes First Place below the line on the ballot Paper.
The positions after the first positions are allocated by the Australian Electoral Commission. This allows political parties, independents and the peoples choices to all be given an equivalent “fair go.”
The candidate who receives the most votes becomes that State’s representative to go to the Federal House of Representatives in Canberra.
THE STATES
Below is a fictional ballot paper for New South Wales. In this example there are 5 candidates. The NSW Parliament’s ECP is Mavis Pike, who happens to belong to the Australian Greens Party, and is also endorsed by the Greens. As the Prime Candidate, she gets selection above the line.
The Greens could stand their own independent candidate, but have decided not to.
Both the Liberal Party and Labor Party have nominated candidates: Mr George Mainwaring (Lib) and James Frazer (ALP).
No other political parties have nominated a candidate.
There are two independent candidates nominated by the people: One is Mr TV Star, and the other Ms Charity Queen.
With the EPC automatically granted the Primary Position above the line, and First Position below the line, the AEC has determined that for this election the ballot order for the remaining 4 candidates is: 5, 2, 4, 3
THE TERRITORIES
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The Australian Capital Territory
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The Northern Territory
The two mainland territories, The Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory will also have a ballot as per the states.
The External Territories:
- Ashmore and Cartier Islands
- Australian Antarctic Territory
- Christmas Island*
- Cocos (Keeling) Islands*
- Coral Sea Islands Territory
- Heard Island and McDonald Islands
- Jervis Bay Territory
- Norfolk Island
The External Territories nominations would be included on the ACT Ballot paper, except for The Cocos Islands and Christmas Island which are currently recorded on the Northern Territory ballot. The residents would vote on the same Ballot Papers.
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