Don’t go blank on Election Day! Your vote really does count. Here’s why:
I know, many people are tempted to leave their cards blank, because we all know, politicians are full of it, and we all feel powerless to some extent over the future of our nation.
Many feel disenfranchised with probably the beigest, most boring election campaign in history.
But see the Brexit referendum as a guide. Many people in England didn’t think their vote really mattered and were stunned with the outcome to leave the European Union. People who voted leave said “I didn’t think my vote would count.” It does.
Many young people are also tempted to leave ballot papers blank in protest because they don’t think their vote counts and are dissatisfied with the major parites (join the club).
BUT, in this election, more than ever, every on of your vote counts. (See below for an explainer of important voting changes in this year’s election).
You see, to become a Senator in NSW, you only really need a little more than 620,000 votes. So if every member of the arts community voted 1 for the Arts Party, boom, you’ve got a voice in Parliament.
The major parties are very nervous about the prospect of outside chances – like Nick Xenophon’s party, independents and of course, Labor’s continual thorn in its side for leaching its votes, the Greens.
There is also a very minor chance of a “Hung Parliament” in the House of Reps, where the Cross-Benchers hold the balance of power. They did during the Gillard Government.
I recently heard the Independent Tasmasian MP for Denison Andrew Wilkie (the electorate takes in Hobart) who was part of that cross bench that held the balance of power in the lower house during the Gillard years being interviewed by Fran Kelly on The ABC’s RN Breakfast.
She asked if there are more independents in the House of Reps “Is it a recipe for Independents getting a better deal for their electorates?”
Yes it is. Wilkie secured secured $340 million for the Royal Hobart hospital during that time.
Asked if that’s the right thing ie that independents could use this power to get things for their electorates he replied:
“At the end of the day a member of Parliament is there first and foremost to represent their community, their electorate…”
Correct Mr Wilkie.
That’s why in rural areas, Independents are getting a look in due to long term dissatisfaction with the Nationals, after long term decline in services like health and telecommunications.
If I lived in the bush, I’d seriously think about getting behind an independent in the House of Reps to get more goodies, along the lines of what Mr Wilkie achieved for his electorate.
This is evident in the NSW electorate of Calare where Nick Xenophon’s party has fielded a candidate. While it’s still a safe National Party seat, it is facing a shakeup explained here by the ABC’s Naomi Woodley.
As for the Senate, this time ‘round it’s been a very interesting ride because it’s peppered with different faces, making it more diverse and more interesting.
Jacqui Lambie, Nick Xenophon, the Greens, the Palmer United Party have created a situation where the Senate doesn’t just act as a rubber stamp for the Government’s legislation to get through.
Legislation gets debated more often, challenged more often, meaning more press coverage, and greater awareness of what’s going on in politics because of this diverse group.
The major parties all whinge about the independents and minor parties and how they impede progress, but what they’re really peeved about is not having a ‘rubber stamp’ for the majority winning party’s legislation to get through un-questioned, un-debated and un-reported on.
The major parties have to get off their backsides and negotiate with these independents, Greens or whatever minority to get their legislation through.
This my friends, is what I call democracy. And it’s why your Senate vote really counts.
Voting changes explained
We used to be able to vote 1 for the party of our choice on both ballot papers. Not any more.
In both the House of Representatives and the Senate every voter must number their preferences.
If you just vote 1 for who you prefer, it means your vote is invalid.
In the House of Representatives ballot paper – for example if there are 8 candidates you have to number each from 1 to 8 in the order you like them.
If a candidate doesn’t secure a convincing lead in an electorate – preferences are distributed until there is a clear winner.
In the Senate things are more complicated and preferences are really important as the votes are counted differently due to proportional representation.
The formula is this:
(Number of formal ballot papers / (Number of senators to be elected + 1)) + 1 = Senate quota.
In 2013 in NSW that meant a candidate needed to achieve 625 164 votes in the 2013 election. (The Australian Electoral Commission website).
Which is not a helluva lot of votes really. And that’s how we get a Senate that is more interesting with minor parties and independents getting over the line.
If you only vote for 6 candidates in the Senate – the preferences are not considered in the same way if you vote 1 -12 below the line.
The only way your preferences are locked in is if you vote for 12 candidates in order of preference. If you vote for 6, preferences of other senate candidates are taken into account.
If you want your preferences to go in the order you want them, you must number 12 candidates.
Also be aware of where your preferences go, a friend of mine was shocked when the Libs in her electorate handed her a how to vote card that preferenced Fred Nile's Christian Democrats second and the Shooters and Fishers third.
Pen vs Pencil
During the Brexit campaign people were encouraged to vote with a pen due to fears about a conspiracy that pencil votes would be rubbed out and changed.
According to the AEC pencils are used in Australia because of convenience. They won’t run out of ink and can just be sharpened.
If this is a worry, you are allowed to bring your own pen and vote with it on polling day and it will be counted.
