elections

why am i still doing politics i hate this subject so much 🥀

Criteria for fair elections

• All citizens have the right to vote

• Electors are free from intimidation

• One vote, one value

• Broad, transparent and inclusive candidate eligibility

• Opportunities for the electorate to receive objective information from a free press

• Impartial/balanced system of conducting elections and verifying results

• Secret ballot

• Legal prohibitions against electoral fraud

• Recount and contestation procedures

Outcomes of a fair electoral system

• Robust and stable government that mirrors the majority’s will

• Representatives which are accountable and maintain a strong connection with their electorate

• All electors, candidates and parties are treated equitably

• Representation spans society’s diverse spectrum

Electoral procedures vs electoral systems

Electoral procedures are the formal actions needed before and during an election (eg drawing electoral boundaries, counting results). They are administrative tasks which should be carried out by independent officials. Electoral systems refer to the chosen methods of counting votes and determining the election result (eg preferential voting).

Mandate

The authority provided by voters to a successful political party to pursue its policies in parliament at an election. For example, the current labour government received a mandate to govern from the people at the 2025 federal election, as the won a majority (94) of HoR seats.

Compulsory voting

Refers to the compulsory enrolment of eligible voters. In place in Australia as per the 1924 amendment to the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918.

Advantages of compulsory voters

• Majority rule is better established as parliament and government can claim to enact the democratic will of the people if all eligible electors vote - government decisions are more legitimate

• Voting educates citizens on their political system, increasing political participation

• Political parties don’t need to spend resources encouraging electors to vote

Disadvantages of compulsory voting

• Not consistent with the freedoms associated with a liberal democracy

• May discourage political education due to a perceived sense of oppression

• Increases informal votes and random votes (numbering boxes randomly)

Majoritarian system

Based on individual voting districts which each elect one member of parliament, called single member electorates.

Advantages of a majoritarian system

• More direct relationship between constituents and MPs

  • MP is more likely to be accessible to constituents

  • Provides communities a voice in political decision making

• Clear and stable majority government as larger parties are dominant

Disadvantages of a majoritarian system

• Minority groups are under-represented

  • Supporters must be geographically concentrated to reach 50%+1

• Vote wastage can distort election results

  • Parties may win by very large margins, surplus vote would be more beneficial spread out - may receive a majority of the national vote but lose the election

Minor parties influence in a majoritarian system

Minor parties can negotiate with major parties to influence their policies in exchange for giving the major party their second preference, as they are unlikely to reach the 50%+1 mark. However, bargaining power is growing as modern voters are less likely to vote for major parties.

Preferential voting

• Absolute majority is required to win (50%+1)

• Voters rank candidates by preference

• Preferences are redistributed until an absolute majority is achieved

• Used for the house of reps, electorates each have around 117,000 voters

Safe seats vs marginal seats

Safe seats refer to electorates which are typically always won by the same party with a large percentage of the vote, meaning that parties don’t need to spend resources campaigning. Marginal seats are seats where the results are always close and can change between elections, attracting money and attention from major parties.

Gerrymandering

Refers to the deliberate drawing of electoral boundaries to disadvantage a political opponent, through concentrating their support into a small number of electorates (resulting in vote wastage)

Not an issue in Australia as electoral boundaries are drawn by the AEC. prevalent issue in the US as boundaries are drawn by state legislatures.

Malapportionment

Refers to when the number of voters in an electorate is inconsistent with the number of voters in another electorate - no one vote, one value

eg each state gets 12 senators despite their very different populations (eg NSW and Tas) as per s7 of the constitution

Accountability through HoR elections

Low for individual members, as they are typically elected based on their party affiliation - an exception is Tony Abbott who lost his seat in the 2019 election despite the liberal party winning the election due to his personal views

High for political parties as they will lose seats due to regular elections - eg in the 2025 federal election the liberal party won only 18 seats

Advantages of preferential voting

• Enhanced majority rule as an absolute majority is required

• Elimination of vote splitting and reduced vote wastage

• More opportunity for smaller parties

Disadvantages of preferential voting

• More complex and may confuse voters, leading to informal votes

• Still has some vote wastage if preferences don’t contribute to the elected representative

• Overrepresentation of major parties and limited reflection of societal diversity, skewed results based on how support is distributed over electorates (eg greens vs nationals)

• Preference deals can undermine transparency

Proportional voting

Refers to a system of voting which aims to equate the percentage of votes a political party receives with the percentage of seats won in parliament, requiring a multi-member electorate.

Candidates must meet a quota which is typically 14.3% (in a half senate election). Electors fill in below (candidates) or above (parties) the line and preferences are distributed until all quotas are filled.

Advantages of proportional voting

• Quotas are lower than an absolute majority, allowing smaller parties and diverse candidates to win seats

• Hung senates necessitate negotiation and compromise, encouraging the senate’s review function (typically no party holds a majority, this last occurred during the 2004 to 2007 Howard government)

• Minorities are better represented and can review legislation, protecting rights

Disadvantages of proportional voting

• Complex and can be hard for electors to understand

• Dilutes the link between electors and representatives

• Hung senates can lead to legislative impasses

• Can undermine majority rule principle

Truth in political advertising

• Electoral legislation amendment (Fair and transparent elections) Bill 2024 introduced by independent Kate Chaney

• Aimed to reform the law around truth in political advertising (eg criminalise misleading statements) but failed as she is a private member and didn’t have the support of the government

Electoral college

• The system used to elect the US President

• Electors vote for a group of delegates aligned with a particular presidential candidate, who assemble in December to elect the president

• Number of delegates = number of senators plus number of HoR representatives

• 270 of the 538 electoral college votes required to win

Presidential/Congress elections

• The president is elected at every second election (every 4 years) and doesn’t sit in the legislature

• Congressional elections (legislature) are every 2 years

Primary elections

State by state votes by secret ballot to decide who will run as the presidential candidate for each major political party. Depending on the state, voters may or may not have to be registered members of the political party. In Australia, preselection for candidates is determined within the political party.

First past the post voting in USA

A majoritarian system in which electors select a single candidate. A simple majority of votes is required to win. Results in vote wastage, vote splitting and supports a strict 2 party system

Non compulsory voting in USA

Voting is voluntary and citizens don’t need to enrol. Only around 70% of eligible citizens are enrolled to vote and only around 65% voted in the 2024 presidential election. Political parties and candidates strive to encourage citizens to vote, rather than enticing undecided or indifferent voters.

Administering elections USA

Elections are run by state legislatures, rather than an independent body such as the Australian Electoral Commission. This causes bias to a certain political party, allowing for laws to be passed which favour a certain party. An example of this is gerrymandering or voter suppression laws.