How do I know what the preferences for the various political parties are? Do they have to state it?

Obviousman said:

How do I know what the preferences for the various political parties are? Do they have to state it?

I don’t think so.

Federal or State?

For Federal they are usually published on the electoral commission website. Some states systems are a bit archaic.

I’d be looking at the candidates’ web pages.

In Queensland preferences are optional.

Peak Warming Man said:

In Queensland preferences are optional.

Maybe for the voter, but I’m pretty sure the parties would like you to listen to what they say.

NSW Upper house has some new fangled system where there are no preference deals between parties. The voter only gets 15 votes, not all the way down for each candidate. Voting above the line the votes only go to the group voted for, there are no preferences left to distribute. Voters can vote below the line, but only from 1 to 15.

Queensland abolished it’s unrepresented swill house a century ago.

NSW Upper House voting.

http://www.elections.nsw.gov.au/voting/casting_a_vote/legislative_council

To be listed a a group above the line, a party needs 15 candidates. A vote for any party above the line means your 15 votes get allocated in descending order for only the 15 candidates of that party.

Peak Warming Man said:

Queensland abolished it’s unrepresented swill house a century ago.

Well I came across hippies stilling moonshine just yesterday so they didn’t complete the job.

Peak Warming Man said:

Queensland abolished it’s unrepresented swill house a century ago.

How has that worked out?

didn’t know about the nnsw system.

But other than that, just fill in your own preferences. It doesn’t take that long.

When do the Chinese hold elections?

Before bleckfast, like everybody else!

• When do the Chinese hold elections?

You might have missed the communist thing…

bob(from black rock) said:

When do the Chinese hold elections?

Before bleckfast, like everybody else!

That would work parse better with when do the Chinese have elections.

AwesomeO said:

bob(from black rock) said:

When do the Chinese hold elections?

Before bleckfast, like everybody else!

That would work parse better with when do the Chinese have elections.

We should allow him the ruxury of a little poetic ricence.

• That would work parse better with when do the Chinese have elections.

You might want to parse that statement again…

AwesomeO said:

bob(from black rock) said:

When do the Chinese hold elections?

Before bleckfast, like everybody else!

That would work parse better with when do the Chinese have elections.

Yeah it does too, 10/10.

party_pants said:

AwesomeO said:

bob(from black rock) said:

When do the Chinese hold elections?

Before bleckfast, like everybody else!

That would work parse better with when do the Chinese have elections.

We should allow him the ruxury of a little poetic ricence.

ah-rice is ah-ruxury a poet cannot afford!!! Send ah-him to work ah-kamp!

I’m thinking something like this could work for the Senate elections in future.

In a normal Senate election only half the seats are up for election, 6 seats in each state. So let’s say we restrict each party to 6 possible candidates, and they need to name 6 to get a box above the line. Let;s give each voter say 24 votes to allocate, rather than 70-100.

Vote above the line, select 4 groups and rank the 1 to 4,

or

vote below the line and mark 24 candidates from 1-24, and leave the rest blank.

Or just mark the form “Fuck yers all?”

The Rev Dodgson said:

didn’t know about the nnsw system.

But other than that, just fill in your own preferences. It doesn’t take that long.

Agreed , Rev, but the opening question was how do you know where your vote is going (paraphrased). I thought about this quite a bit after the last Federal election. From memory I had Ricky Muir at about 32 out of the 50 odd candidates on the senate paper in Victoria. With the Byzantium preferences between parties i really had no reason to put the candidate for the Motor Enthusiast Party one position above the Gay Shooters party. I start from the bottom on the senate paper. The real bottom feeders get my last vote on the paper. I then work my way up and it does become confusing.

I know who I want to put in the top 10, and in the bottom 20; but how do I sort the one’s in between?

If I’d put Ricky Muir at 33 instead of 32 could this have made a difference in how the election turned out?

BTW, I do feel that Ricky has stood up rather well. I’m sure he was as shocked as everyone else that he has ended up a Senator for at least 6 years. He’s doing OK, as far as I can tell.