How to vote card usage

These tables cross-tabulate the number of votes that exactly match a how-to-vote card issued at the 2016 federal Senate election.

Explanation

How to vote cards are composed by the HowToVoteCardGeneration class, using the cards listed on the ABC election website. Ballots are then matched against these cards by the MatchingHowToVoteCalculator class.

Many how-to-vote cards (eg from the Jacquie Lambie Network) simply told voters where to put their first preference, and then asked them to mark the rest as they liked. Others (eg the Motoring Enthusiasts) gave suggestions about which parties to preference, but left the voter to choose the order. Still others (eg Sustainable Australia) specified less than 6 preferences, and asked the voter to choose the rest.

To ensure comparisons between like and like, only how-to-vote cards that unambiguously specified at least 6 preferences above the line have been included in this analysis. In order to be considered to match a how to vote card, a ballot must

Match the above-the-line preferences on the how to vote card exactly,

Not specify more or fewer preferences than on the how-to-vote card,

Not use a tick or cross to express its first preference,

Not have marked below the line at all.

Bad how-to-vote cards

In Tasmania, the One Nation how-to-vote card listed the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers party (group AG) as its third preference. In fact, the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers party was in group P, and there was no group AG on the ballot paper. SenateDB corrects this mistake.

In New South Wales, the Veteran’s party how-to-vote card listed the Cycling Party as fourth preference, and the Science Party as the fifth preference. In fact, these parties shared group I, and so had to be preferenced together. Because it would have been impossible to follow this how-to-vote card and have completed a formal ballot paper, it has been ignored.

Tables

National total

Ballots matching an HTV card Total formal ballots % Total 2,010,114 13,838,900 14.53%

Nationally by first-preferenced party

Party Ballots matching an HTV card Total formal ballots for party % Liberal Party of Australia 1,322,391 4,821,314 27.43% Australian Labor Party 522,915 4,123,084 12.68% The Greens 112,670 1,197,657 9.41% Pauline Hanson’s One Nation 17,617 593,013 2.97% Australian Liberty Alliance 8,813 102,982 8.56% Family First Party 6,611 191,112 3.46% Australian Christians 4,492 66,525 6.75% Shooters, Fishers and Farmers 3,542 192,923 1.84% Animal Justice Party 3,445 159,373 2.16% Katter’s Australian Party 2,360 53,199 4.44% Glenn Lazarus Team 1,801 45,149 3.99% Rise Up Australia Party 1,293 36,424 3.55% Australian Sex Party 1,078 97,882 1.10% Democratic Labour Party 322 94,510 0.34% Socialist Alliance 188 9,968 1.89% Australian Sex Party/Marijuana (HEMP) Party 170 69,247 0.25% Marriage Equality 127 44,982 0.28% Pirate Party Australia 106 35,184 0.30% Science Party / Cyclists Party 73 24,673 0.30% Liberal Democratic Party 56 298,915 0.02% Australian Cyclists Party 34 25,438 0.13% Veterans Party 6 10,391 0.06% Science Party 3 5,405 0.06% Renewable Energy Party 1 29,983 0.00% Total 2,010,114 13,838,900 14.53%

By state

State Ballots matching an HTV card Total formal ballots for party % VIC 691,540 3,500,237 19.76% NSW 688,074 4,492,197 15.32% QLD 295,329 2,723,166 10.85% WA 236,394 1,366,182 17.30% SA 42,941 1,061,165 4.05% ACT 28,508 254,767 11.19% TAS 13,744 339,159 4.05% NT 13,584 102,027 13.31% Total 2,010,114 13,838,900 14.53%

By group in the Australian Capital Territory

Group Ballots matching an HTV card Total formal ballots for group % F (Liberal Party of Australia) 16,472 84,615 19.47% C (Australian Labor Party) 9,317 96,667 9.64% H (The Greens) 2,697 41,006 6.58% D (Rise Up Australia Party) 22 2,523 0.87% Total 28,508 254,767 11.19%

By group in New South Wales

Group Ballots matching an HTV card Total formal ballots for group % F (Liberal & Nationals) 466,311 1,610,626 28.95% N (Australian Labor Party) 181,766 1,405,088 12.94% AL (The Greens) 31,603 332,860 9.49% S (Pauline Hanson’s One Nation) 2,381 184,012 1.29% J (Shooters, Fishers and Farmers) 2,350 88,837 2.65% AM (Australian Liberty Alliance) 2,273 29,795 7.63% AB (Animal Justice Party) 895 37,991 2.36% C (Family First Party) 122 53,027 0.23% AG (Australian Sex Party) 93 30,038 0.31% L (Socialist Alliance) 76 5,382 1.41% I (Science Party / Cyclists Party) 54 18,367 0.29% H (Democratic Labour Party) 54 51,510 0.10% M (Rise Up Australia Party) 45 7,538 0.60% R (Pirate Party Australia) 43 11,418 0.38% D (Liberal Democratic Party) 8 139,007 0.01% Total 688,074 4,492,197 15.32%

By group in the Northern Territory

Group Ballots matching an HTV card Total formal ballots for group % E (Country Liberals (NT)) 6,208 37,156 16.71% F (Australian Labor Party (Northern Territory) Branch) 6,020 38,197 15.76% D (The Greens) 1,284 11,003 11.67% A (Rise Up Australia Party) 72 6,768 1.06% Total 13,584 102,027 13.31%

By group in Queensland

Group Ballots matching an HTV card Total formal ballots for group % G (Liberal National Party of Queensland) 183,011 960,467 19.05% D (Australian Labor Party) 80,870 717,524 11.27% X (Pauline Hanson’s One Nation) 11,767 250,126 4.70% AK (The Greens) 6,879 188,323 3.65% N (Australian Liberty Alliance) 4,677 29,392 15.91% T (Family First Party) 3,086 52,453 5.88% I (Katter’s Australian Party) 2,360 48,807 4.84% AC (Glenn Lazarus Team) 1,801 45,149 3.99% Y (Rise Up Australia Party) 345 5,734 6.02% H (Animal Justice Party) 291 32,306 0.90% AF (Australian Christians) 85 9,686 0.88% V (Australian Sex Party/Marijuana (HEMP) Party) 84 30,157 0.28% M (Pirate Party Australia) 30 10,342 0.29% Q (Shooters, Fishers and Farmers) 16 29,571 0.05% A (Australian Cyclists Party) 13 19,933 0.07% S (Democratic Labour Party) 8 15,443 0.05% AJ (Veterans Party) 6 4,534 0.13% Total 295,329 2,723,166 10.85%

By group in South Australia

Group Ballots matching an HTV card Total formal ballots for group % H (Liberal Party of Australia) 30,674 345,767 8.87% B (Australian Labor Party) 5,390 289,902 1.86% N (Family First Party) 2,984 30,464 9.80% D (The Greens) 2,582 62,329 4.14% O (Pauline Hanson’s One Nation) 597 31,621 1.89% S (Australian Liberty Alliance) 276 4,435 6.22% Q (Shooters, Fishers and Farmers) 265 7,815 3.39% U (Animal Justice Party) 140 8,981 1.56% R (Australian Sex Party/Marijuana (HEMP) Party) 28 12,091 0.23% E (Australian Cyclists Party) 5 1,664 0.30% Total 42,941 1,061,165 4.05%

By group in Tasmania

Group Ballots matching an HTV card Total formal ballots for group % F (Liberal Party of Australia) 9,824 110,318 8.91% B (Australian Labor Party) 2,306 113,935 2.02% C (The Greens) 1,490 37,840 3.94% P (Shooters, Fishers and Farmers) 56 4,688 1.19% I (Pauline Hanson’s One Nation) 27 8,700 0.31% N (Australian Liberty Alliance) 22 1,112 1.98% A (Family First Party) 12 6,692 0.18% H (Australian Sex Party/Marijuana (HEMP) Party) 4 4,493 0.09% R (Science Party) 3 1,306 0.23% Total 13,744 339,159 4.05%

By group in Victoria

Group Ballots matching an HTV card Total formal ballots for group % AF (Liberal & Nationals) 446,721 1,158,800 38.55% D (Australian Labor Party) 182,633 1,075,658 16.98% AK (The Greens) 53,387 380,499 14.03% C (Animal Justice Party) 1,928 60,780 3.17% Y (Pauline Hanson’s One Nation) 1,758 63,528 2.77% H (Australian Christians) 1,697 34,763 4.88% AL (Australian Sex Party) 985 54,128 1.82% AG (Shooters, Fishers and Farmers) 657 36,669 1.79% AI (Rise Up Australia Party) 641 10,166 6.31% O (Family First Party) 363 39,747 0.91% R (Democratic Labour Party) 260 18,152 1.43% U (Australian Liberty Alliance) 253 23,080 1.10% X (Marriage Equality) 127 17,139 0.74% Z (Socialist Alliance) 67 2,597 2.58% J (Pirate Party Australia) 33 13,424 0.25% E (Science Party / Cyclists Party) 19 11,567 0.16% AH (Liberal Democratic Party) 11 55,501 0.02% Total 691,540 3,500,237 19.76%

By group in Western Australia

Group Ballots matching an HTV card Total formal ballots for group % X (Liberal Party of Australia) 163,170 525,879 31.03% D (Australian Labor Party) 54,613 386,113 14.14% J (The Greens (WA)) 12,748 143,797 8.87% W (Australian Christians) 2,710 22,076 12.28% P (Australian Liberty Alliance) 1,312 15,168 8.65% R (Pauline Hanson’s One Nation) 1,087 55,026 1.98% B (Shooters, Fishers and Farmers) 198 25,343 0.78% K (Animal Justice Party) 191 12,687 1.51% Q (Rise Up Australia Party) 168 3,695 4.55% S (Australian Sex Party/Marijuana (HEMP) Party) 54 25,047 0.22% G (Socialist Alliance) 45 1,989 2.26% AB (Family First Party) 44 8,729 0.50% Z (Liberal Democratic Party) 37 10,771 0.34% N (Australian Cyclists Party) 16 2,679 0.60% O (Renewable Energy Party) 1 4,617 0.02% Total 236,394 1,366,182 17.30%

By division