Day one of the federal election campaign tests both Scott Morrison and Anthony Albanese

Day one of the federal election campaign has tested both Scott Morrison and Anthony Albanese. The Opposition Leader was unable to provide the correct figures for the unemployment or cash rates, while the Prime Minister defended the secrecy around a six-figure payout to a former Coalition staffer. Australian federal elections use the preferential voting system to elect candidates.

File photo dated 06/05/10 of a voter placing a ballot paper in the ballot box. Source: AAP

The preferential voting process requires voters to mark their preferences for candidates on their ballot papers.

All required boxes need to be numbered in order for the vote to count. 

On polling day, the House of Representatives paper is green while the Senate voting paper is white.

And the preferential system become apparent as votes are transferred between the preferences as marked.

That means in the House of Representatives for instance, if no candidate has an absolute majority, the person with the fewest votes is eliminated from the count.

The votes for this excluded candidate are then transferred to the candidate numbered two on each of the ballot papers, the voters' second preference.

And this counting process continues until one candidate has more than half of the formal votes cast and is therefore declared elected.

 

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