Flux the System, a micro-party which is using self-styled preference whisperer Glenn Druery as a consultant, is running 26 fake independent candidates for the Legislative Council in the WA election.

Key points: Flux is one of five micro-parties who struck a preference deal in bid to win seats

Flux is one of five micro-parties who struck a preference deal in bid to win seats Preferences from Flux 'independents' flow to other micro-parties

Preferences from Flux 'independents' flow to other micro-parties Campaign director Daithi Gleeson says candidates trying to capture 'stray vote'

The candidates have been listed as independents on ballot papers for the election but "are our candidates", Flux the System campaign director Daithi Gleeson said.

In the North Metropolitan region, for example, the candidates include Doubleview personal trainer Raoul Kawusu Conteh Smith and Success machine operator Michael Carey.

They are listed as part of an "independent" voting ticket above the line on the region's Legislative Council ballot paper.

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The party is running more disguised candidates than official ones, of which there are 24 between the upper and lower houses.

"It's part of our strategy to run a group of independents to maximise our chances of electoral success," Mr Gleeson said.

With the WA Electoral Commission estimating that fewer than 5 per cent of voters mark every box below the line, an above-the-line vote is powerful in the WA system.

Voters only have to mark one box above the line or must number every box correctly below the line.

The fake independents are the latest example of the tactics being employed by new micro-parties like Flux in a bid to maximise their chances of winning a seat and capitalising on the protest vote against bigger parties.

Flux is part of the so-called "Druery grouping" — along with the Daylight Saving Party, Family First, Fluoride Free WA and the Liberal Democrats — that has arranged preference deals to give each party a strong chance of winning one designated Legislative Council region.

The deal, organised by Mr Druery, has given Family First candidate Henry Heng the strongest chance among the group of winning a North Metropolitan seat.

This is reflected in Mr Smith's voting ticket, where preferences flow to Family First, then to Fluoride Free WA, the Liberal Democrats and Flux.

Family First candidate Henry Heng stands to benefit from Flux preferences in the North Metropolitan region. ( ABC News: Laura Gartry )

'It's their choice': Druery

Mr Druery said he did not advise Flux the System to list the candidates as independents, but said he had discussed "pragmatic ways of being elected" with parties running in the WA election.

"I show them where boundaries and pragmatic electoral boundaries may exist," he said.

Glenn Druery has helped Flux and four other microparties strike preference deals.

"They have to work within those boundaries. Of course it's legal. But ultimately if any of these groups choose to do this, it's their choice."

Mr Druery also said that it was not a new phenomenon for a party to run independents in a bid to win more votes.

"All sorts of groups have done this over the years. It's not reinventing the wheel," he said.

Flux's strategy is however at odds with its platform of stopping backroom deals and making political decisions more democratic.

"By distributing power away from brokers, middle men and partyrooms, Flux makes backroom deals difficult and ineffective," the party's website says.

"Instead of convincing political operatives, lobbyists will have to convince us, the Australian people."

Mr Gleeson, who contacted the ABC after it approached Mr Carey and Mr Smith for interview, said the pair were not actively campaigning and were listed as independents rather than Flux candidates in an attempt to capture "the stray vote".

Flux candidate Raoul Kawusu Conteh Smith appears as an independent on the ballot paper. ( Facebook: Raoul Kawusu Conteh Smith )

He said he did not think it was unethical to not identify the candidates on ballot papers as Flux representatives.

"It's a means to an ends. It's next to impossible for small parties and independents to get up," Mr Gleeson said.

"We have set out on this campaign with the objective of getting elected. If we felt what we thought what we were doing was wrong, we would not do it."

Fellow independent concerned

Mr Carey and Mr Smith are two of 18 voting tickets listed above the line on the region's ballot paper.

These tickets include another independent, an "A Albert", who has been difficult to track down.

The only details provided by the WAEC are that the candidate has a silent address, is a "BBU business owner" and has directed their top preferences to Druery grouping parties — with Family First top of the list.

Mr Heng said he did not know A Albert and the preference flow was not arranged by his party.

The lack of information on candidates like A Albert has raised the suspicions of others on the campaign trail.

Another independent running for the North Metropolitan region, corporate law specialist Joe Ruzzi, said he had tried without success to find out more information about them when trying to decide the preference flows on his voting ticket.

"My gut feeling is that some of these independents may be stooges," he said.

Mr Ruzzi said he disliked the system of voting tickets and would like to see them abolished, but had submitted one because in the current system "if you are going to make a difference, then you have got to be above the line".