After reading the AEC publication Counting the votes for the Senate, I rang them and asked the following question.
“Could you explain how above the line votes for a party combine with below the line votes for individuals in that same party. I understand about quotas and transferring surpluses and the reduced transfer value but I don’t understand how the above the line and below the line votes combine.”
(See above link for explanations of quota, transferring surpluses, transfer value and exhausted votes.)
The girl I spoke to, who tried very hard, looking up countless fact sheets and FAQs and waiting for colleagues to answer her online question, was unable to answer me and suggested I ring my local member which I did. Both my local member and Mr Turnbull’s office referred me back to the AEC so I asked Antony Green.
His answer was as follows:
COMMENT: For the count all above the line votes are converted into an equivalent below the line sequence of preferences, and then all ballot papers are treated equally.
I am still unsure what that exactly means but my guess is as follows:
The top candidate’s individual vote would be counted and they would be allocated however many above the line (ATL) votes for their party as was necessary to make them up to a quota (7.7%). Subsequent candidates in their party would, in order, be given ATL votes for their party to top up their individual vote until the ATL vote was exhausted. Any surplus votes for that party will be distributed at a reduced value to the voter’s second preference.
Surplus votes are distributed before candidates are excluded. If no-one from your first preference party reaches a quota, or the individual to whom you gave your first preference is excluded (with the lowest count), your vote would pass on in full to your second preference.
I am by no means certain that this is completely accurate and would appreciate it if someone could verify or correct it.
One very important thing to understand is that you only have one vote for one person. You are not voting for the twelve people you wish to see elected. You will be voting for the first individual in your preferences who makes the cut. If none of your selected choices make the cut, your vote won’t count.
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