How to fillout your ballot: Preferencing explained

Two Ballot Papers: Green and White

When you vote, you’ll receive two ballot papers:

A green ballot paper for the House of Representatives (that's the one Jeremy will be on)
A larger white ballot paper for the Senate

Each ballot lists the candidates running for election, with a box next to each name. The names appear in a random order chosen by the Australian Electoral Commission.

How Preferential Voting Works

Australia uses a preferential voting system.

This means you rank candidates in order of preference, starting with your first choice (1), followed by your second choice (2), third choice (3), and so on.

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Filling Out the Green Ballot (House of Representatives)

When voting for the House of Representatives, follow these steps:

Choose your first preference – The person you most want to represent you. Write 1 in the box next to their name.
Rank the other candidates – If your first-choice candidate doesn’t get enough votes, your vote will go to your second choice, then your third, and so on. Continue numbering all candidates in order of preference.

Your preferences are important, especially in close elections. If your top choice is eliminated, your vote moves to your next preference until a winner is determined.

How-to-Vote Cards: Just a Suggestion

At the polling booth, you may receive how-to-vote cards from political parties. These suggest how to number your preferences. These are often based on preference deals made between parties before the election.

However, you are not required to follow these cards. They are simply recommendations. The final decision on how to number your ballot is yours alone.

Jeremy Miller’s Independent Approach

Unlike major parties, Jeremy Miller is an independent candidate and does not make preference deals. That choice is yours—it’s your democratic right.

Here is a short video from the Australian Electoral Commission that explains preferential voting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1MsyKazjRA

There is also a link to a practice ballot which might be fun to have a go at and let others know about.

Practice Ballot paper
https://www.aec.gov.au/Voting/How_to_vote/practice/practice-house-of-reps.htm.