In Australia, preferential voting systems are majority systems where candidates must receive an absolute majority, more than 50% of the total formal votes cast, to be elected. If the absolute majority is not gained on the first count, then preferences are distributed until an absolute majority is obtained. Show
The term "preferential voting" means voters can indicate an order of preferences for candidates on the ballot paper, i.e. who they want as their 1st choice, 2nd choice and so on. The elector must show a preference for all candidates listed on the ballot paper. In some electoral systems which use full preferential voting, the voter can leave one box empty if the voter's intention with regard to the other preferences is clear. The empty box is treated as the voter's last preference, e.g. voting for the Victorian Legislative Assembly. The number "1" preference must be shown and other preferences may be indicated, e.g. voting for the NSW and Queensland Legislative Assemblies. The elector must show a minimum number of preferences as set out on the ballot paper. e.g. voting for the Tasmanian Legislative Council. Count ballot papersPolling officials sort and count formal and informal votes. Informal votes are set aside and do not take further part in the count. The formal votes are counted according to the 1st preferences given by voters. This is the primary count and the results are made available. Not all votes are counted immediately as absent, postal and pre-poll votes including declarations received by post after the close of polling need to be processed and checked before they can be admitted to the count. If no candidate receives an absolute majority (more than 50% of the total 1st preference votes) after all valid votes have been admitted to the count, then subsequent preferences have to be distributed. First (Primary) CountFormal votes received by each candidate are counted according to where the voter placed number "1" for each candidate. In this example there are 100 000 formal votes. The absolute majority is more than 50% of the total formal votes cast, i.e. 50 001 votes.
Second CountNo candidate received an absolute majority in the first count, so the candidate with the lowest number of 1st preference votes is excluded. In this case Lee has the lowest number of votes, 16 000. Those votes are distributed to the remaining candidates according to the next available preference. In this case, this is where voters placed their number "2" preference.
Third CountStill no candidate has an absolute majority so the counting procedure continues. Again the candidate with the lowest number of votes is excluded. In this case Jo has the lowest number of votes, 25 000. Those votes are distributed to the remaining candidates according to where voters placed the next available preference for the candidates remaining in the count.
ResultPaul is declared elected as he has a majority of votes, 54 000. See alsoSkip to main content
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Learn about the presidential election process, including the Electoral College, caucuses and primaries, and the national conventions. In other U.S. elections, candidates are elected directly by popular vote. But the president and vice president are not elected directly by citizens. Instead, they are chosen by “electors” through a process called the Electoral College. The process of using electors comes from the Constitution. It was a compromise between a popular vote by citizens and a vote in Congress. The ElectorsEach state gets as many electors as it has members of Congress (House and Senate). Including Washington, D.C.’s three electors, there are currently 538 electors in all. Each state’s political parties choose their own slate of potential electors. Who is chosen to be an elector, how, and when varies by state. How Does the Electoral College Process Work?After you cast your ballot for president, your vote goes to a statewide tally. In 48 states and Washington, D.C., the winner gets all the electoral votes for that state. Maine and Nebraska assign their electors using a proportional system. A candidate needs the vote of at least 270 electors—more than half of all electors in the U.S.—to win the presidential election. In most cases, a projected winner is announced on election night in November after you vote. But the actual Electoral College vote takes place in mid-December when the electors meet in their states. See the Electoral College timeline of events for the 2020 election. While the Constitution does not require electors to vote for the candidate chosen by their state's popular vote, some states do. The rare elector who votes for someone else may be fined, disqualified and replaced by a substitute elector, or potentially even prosecuted by their state. Special SituationsWinning the Popular Vote but Losing the ElectionIt is possible to win the Electoral College but lose the popular vote. This happened in 2016, in 2000, and three times in the 1800s. What Happens if No Candidate Wins the Majority of Electoral Votes?If no candidate receives the majority of electoral votes, the vote goes to the House of Representatives. House members choose the new president from among the top three candidates. The Senate elects the vice president from the remaining top two candidates. This has only happened once. In 1824, the House of Representatives elected John Quincy Adams as president. How to Change the Electoral CollegeThe Electoral College process is in the U.S. Constitution. It would take a constitutional amendment to change the process. Explains the presidential election process from beginning to end.
An election for president of the United States happens every four years on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. The most recent presidential election was November 3, 2020. Primaries, Caucuses, and Political ConventionsThe election process begins with primary elections and caucuses. These are two methods that states use to select a potential presidential nominee Nominee: the final candidate chosen by a party to represent them in an election.. In general, primaries use secret ballots for voting. Caucuses are local gatherings of voters who vote at the end of the meeting for a particular candidate. Then it moves to nominating conventions, during which political parties each select a nominee to unite behind. During a political party convention, each presidential nominee also announces a vice presidential running mate. The candidates then campaign across the country to explain their views and plans to voters. They may also participate in debates with candidates from other parties. What is the Role of the Electoral College?During the general election General Election: a final election for a political office with a limited list of candidates. , Americans go to their polling place Polling Place: the location in which you cast your vote. to cast their vote for president. But the tally of those votes—the popular vote—does not determine the winner. Instead, presidential elections use the Electoral College. To win the election, a candidate must receive a majority of electoral votes. In the event no candidate receives a majority, the House of Representatives chooses the president and the Senate chooses the vice president. What is a Typical Presidential Election Cycle?The presidential election process follows a typical cycle:
Before the general election, most candidates for president go through a series of state primaries and caucuses. Though primaries and caucuses are run differently, they both serve the same purpose. They let the states choose the major political parties’ nominees for the general election. How State Primaries and Caucuses Work
Learn which states have which types of primaries. Awarding Delegates From the Primaries and CaucusesAt stake in each primary or caucus is a certain number of delegates. These are individuals who represent their state at national party conventions. The candidate who receives a majority of the party’s delegates wins the nomination. The parties have different numbers of delegates due to the rules involved in awarding them. Each party also has some unpledged delegates or superdelegates. These delegates are not bound to a specific candidate heading into the national convention. When the primaries and caucuses are over, most political parties hold a national convention. This is when the winning candidates receive their nomination. For information about your state's presidential primaries or caucuses, contact your state election office or the political party of your choice. The president must:
Anyone who meets these requirements can declare their candidacy for president. Once a candidate raises or spends more than $5,000 for their campaign, they must register with the Federal Election Commission. That includes naming a principal campaign committee to raise and spend campaign funds. After the primaries and caucuses, most political parties hold national conventions. What Happens at a National Political Convention?To become the presidential nominee, a candidate typically has to win a majority of delegates. This usually happens through the party's state primaries and caucuses. State delegates go to the national convention to vote to confirm their choice of candidates. But if no candidate gets the majority of a party's delegates during the primaries and caucuses, convention delegates choose the nominee. This happens through additional rounds of voting. Types of Delegates at a National ConventionThere are two main types of delegates.
Contested and Brokered ConventionsIn rare cases, none of the party's candidates may have a majority of delegates going into the convention. The convention is then considered "contested." Delegates will pick their presidential nominee through one or more rounds of voting.
At the convention, the presidential nominee officially announces their selection of a vice presidential running mate. Last Updated: September 13, 2022 Top |