It has come to my attention again (since the last fed election) that not many in fact very few clearly understand the preferential voting system.
1) This is very handy for our major parties as the general public is duped into voting for either or and they receive $2.38 for all your well thought out first preference votes. Well done Australia - guaranteeing the future of the tens of millions of unsolicited letters we all get from the incumbent or wannabe asking for our vote.
2) I have the impression that Australians on mass are fed up with or have very little interest in politics yet continue to vote the same election after election.
Former Senator Chris Schotte claims 85% of voters never change their mind (ie Lib or Lab)(no matter who is running in the seat) the rest make up their mind the day before or on their way into the polling booth!!
3)Lets face it we have no real choice other than Lib or Lab to form a Govt. both as (please insert your own adjective)as each other but if you want to make a protest and still have your vote counted put the major party you love 2nd last on your ballot slip (the other last).
This will ensure that they don't get $2.38 but still get your vote!
The full explanation is on the AEC website.

I have no trouble with the House of Representatives preference voting system but I loath above the line preference voting for the Senate.

Using the present system I am unable to make my own preferences clear in NSW unless I am prepared to number accurately 110 individual boxes below the line.

That is caused by politicians wishing to ensure that their goons determine how I allocate my preferences.

Surely I should be able to allocate my preferences to groups above the line.

No one seems to understand that the preferential system prevents
a candidate that the majority DO NOT want being elected.

Dear Jumbuck,
Great post.
It only takes 10-15 minutes every 3 years ,to use the preferential system and number on the Senate ballot paper the 110 candidates below the line .
Not a big ask compared to having half one's face or testicles blown-off in Afghanistan.

By doing this , you can send the only message to the major parties, that they respect .

Every major problem we face from housing, university funding, child neglect, jails, environment, manufacturing collapse, casualization of the workforce, selling public assets, massive public/private borrowings, traffic chaos, growing poverty, social security blow-outs.....(.very happy to dialogue the back stories on all this)...is made catastrophically worse by one design blunder..................POPULATION GROWTH .

By preferencing the STABLE POPULATION PARTY first, then your major party second ( after that, just do the numbering because it won't matter ), we have a chance to turn the place around.

The positive message is that we have designed the mess in, so we can design it out .

Very best Jumbuck ,

Ralph

Once you solve the "Stable Population" problem the next thing will be to stop the population ageing.

In the coming decades, each pensioner will be supported by three taxpayers instead of the fifteen or so now.

In the twenty years it takes each new-born person to begin contributing taxes, there will be many more pensioners he/she needs to support.

Good luck.