Changes

=== Voting ===

=== Voting ===

Australia has [[preferential voting]], which is designed to ensure that the candidates with the most support get into office, rather than the candidate with the most primary votes. So if three candidates, A, B, and C, get 40%, 35%, and 25% of the votes respectively (so no candidate has more than 50% of the votes), then the second preference of the voters who voted for C are distributed to the remaining candidates. The result might be that A ends up with 45% of the votes, and B with 55%, indicating that 55% of the voters prefer candidate B over A.

{{main|Voting in Australia}}

One consequence of this voting system is that it encourages a multiplicity of parties and even independent candidates. There have been times when the balance of power has been held by minor parties or independent individuals.

Australia has [[preferential voting]], and voting is compulsory for most people.  Preferential voting encourages a multiplicity of parties and independent candidates, and counting the votes and allocating preferences can take some time where the results are close.

 

With the voting system, vote-counting is a protracted affair, and the major [[television]] networks broadcast live coverage of the progress of the counting.

=== Terms ===

=== Terms ===