IFES Election Guide | Country Profile: Australia

Commonwealth of Australia

26,141,369	20
Population (as of Feb. 7, 2023)	Elections in our database
17,676,347	91.62%
Registered Voters (as of Oct. 14, 2023)	Average Turnout

Name	Official Name	Type
Australian Senate		Upper House
Australian House of Representatives		Lower House

Description of government structure:

Chief of State: King CHARLES III *
Head of Government: Prime Minister Anthony ALBANESE
Assembly: Australia has a bicameral Federal Parliament consisting of the Senate with 76 seats and the House of Representatives with 151 seats.

* King CHARLES III is represented by Governor-General David HURLEY.

Description of electoral system:

The monarchy is hereditary.
The Prime Minister is appointed by the governor-general having been judged by the governor-general to be capable of commanding the support of a majority of members of the House of Representatives.
In the Senate, 76 members are elected through a single transferable vote (STV) proportional representation system to serve 6-year terms*.
In the House of Representatives 150 members are elected through an alternative voting system to serve 3-year terms.**

* 72 members of the Senate represent the States (12 per each of the six states) and serve six-year terms, with half of these seats renewed every three years. The four remaining members of the Senate represent the two mainland Territories and serve three-year terms. Parties may present a Group Voting Ticket, by which they recommend to their supporters orders of preferences for the various candidates. Electors can cast a ballot in two ways. The first method is by marking a "1" in a party's box indicating they wish to adopt the party’s recommendation as their vote. These votes then counted as if the elector had ranked the candidates in the party-recommended order. Alternatively, electors may choose to rank candidates individually, from one to as many candidates as are on the ballot. If voters do not rank every candidate on the ballot, their votes will generally be invalid, though some allowance is made for the counting of votes on which only a limited number of mistakes have been made. Senate candidates must obtain a certain “quota” of votes to be elected. This quota is calculated by dividing the number of valid votes cast by one more than the number of vacancies being filled, and increasing by one the quotient so obtained (with any remainder disregarded). After counting all first preference votes, candidates who meet the quota are declared winners and their surplus votes are reallocated via a fractional transfer.

** Members are elected in 150 single-member constituencies spread among the 6 states and 2 mainland territories of Australia according to population. If electors do not rank every candidate on the ballot their ballot is considered invalid. Voting is compulsory.

Elections

2023-10-14
Referendum
Votes 14,921,547
Registered 17,676,347
Turnout 84.42

2022-05-21
Australian House of Representatives
Votes 15,461,379
Registered 17,228,900
Turnout 89.74

2022-05-21
Australian Senate
Votes 15,572,661
Registered 17,228,900
Turnout 90.39

2019-05-18
Australian House of Representatives
Votes 15,085,409
Registered 16,323,823
Turnout 92.41

2019-05-18
Australian Senate
Votes 11,185,502
Registered 16,323,823
Turnout 68.52

2016-07-02
Australian Senate
Votes 13,761,256
Registered 15,676,659
Turnout 87.78

2016-07-02
Australian House of Representatives
Votes 14,120,518
Registered 15,676,659
Turnout 90.07

2013-09-07
Australian House of Representatives
Votes 13,726,118
Registered 14,704,070
Turnout 93.35

2013-09-07
Australian Senate
Votes 13,822,999
Registered 14,704,070
Turnout 94.01

2010-08-21
Australian Senate
Votes 13,217,393
Registered 14,030,528
Turnout 94.2

2010-08-21
Australian House of Representatives
Votes 12,930,814
Registered 14,030,528
Turnout 92.16

2007-11-24
Australian House of Representatives
Votes 12,930,814
Registered 13,645,073
Turnout 94.77

2007-11-24
Australian Senate
Votes 12,987,814
Registered 13,645,073
Turnout 95.18

2004-10-09
Australian Senate
Votes 12,420,019
Registered 13,098,461
Turnout 94.82

2004-10-09
Australian House of Representatives
Votes 12,354,983
Registered 13,098,461
Turnout 94.32

2001-11-10
Australian Senate
Votes 12,054,455
Registered 12,636,631
Turnout 95.39

2001-11-10
Australian House of Representatives
Votes 12,054,455
Registered 12,636,631
Turnout 95.39

1999-11-06
Referendum
Votes 11,785,035
Registered 12,392,040
Turnout 95.1

1998-10-03
Australian Senate
Votes 11,587,365
Registered 12,154,050
Turnout 95.34

1998-10-03
Australian House of Representatives
Votes 11,545,201
Registered 12,154,050
Turnout 94.99

Election For	Date	Votes	Registered Voters	Turnout
Referendum	2023-10-14	14,921,547	17,676,347	84.42
Australian House of Representatives	2022-05-21	15,461,379	17,228,900	89.74
Australian Senate	2022-05-21	15,572,661	17,228,900	90.39
Australian House of Representatives	2019-05-18	15,085,409	16,323,823	92.41
Australian Senate	2019-05-18	11,185,502	16,323,823	68.52
Australian Senate	2016-07-02	13,761,256	15,676,659	87.78
Australian House of Representatives	2016-07-02	14,120,518	15,676,659	90.07
Australian House of Representatives	2013-09-07	13,726,118	14,704,070	93.35
Australian Senate	2013-09-07	13,822,999	14,704,070	94.01
Australian Senate	2010-08-21	13,217,393	14,030,528	94.2
Australian House of Representatives	2010-08-21	12,930,814	14,030,528	92.16
Australian House of Representatives	2007-11-24	12,930,814	13,645,073	94.77
Australian Senate	2007-11-24	12,987,814	13,645,073	95.18
Australian Senate	2004-10-09	12,420,019	13,098,461	94.82
Australian House of Representatives	2004-10-09	12,354,983	13,098,461	94.32
Australian Senate	2001-11-10	12,054,455	12,636,631	95.39
Australian House of Representatives	2001-11-10	12,054,455	12,636,631	95.39
Referendum	1999-11-06	11,785,035	12,392,040	95.1
Australian Senate	1998-10-03	11,587,365	12,154,050	95.34
Australian House of Representatives	1998-10-03	11,545,201	12,154,050	94.99

Voter Turnout

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