How are Senate Preferences Counted? (yes this is about maths) episode artwork

EPISODE · May 1, 2025 · 6 MIN

How are Senate Preferences Counted? (yes this is about maths)

from Auspol Explained · host David Cox

How does preference counting work for the Australian Senate? How do they figure out who wins the Senate seats? To win, a candidate needs a quota - but a quota is different depending on how many seats there are and how many votes there are overall. Once candidates achieve a quota they're elected but then if they have surplus votes those are transferred at a reduced rate to the next preferences on the ballot. If that sounds complicated to you then good thing here's a whole episode dedicated to explaining how that works!If you want to read more about it you can on the AEC website: https://www.aec.gov.au/voting/counting/senate_count.htmFor an explanation about how preferential voting in the House of Representatives works here's an episode I prepared earlier: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3cEFXUNwMc0E22jChjDMNv?si=6zaCWBWeS8uvN-4VJI6SPA Support the channel on patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/AuspolExplainedLike Auspol Explained on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Auspol-Explained-107892180702388Auspol Explained would like to acknowledge the Whadjuk Nyoongar people and their Elders as the owners and custodians of the Land that the episode was recorded and edited on. This Land was stolen and never ceded. It always was and always will be Aboriginal Land.

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