How The Senate votes are counted

The quota

Unlike House of Representatives elections in which candidates have to gain more than 50% of the votes to be elected, Senate candidates must gain a quota of the formal votes to be elected.

The quota is worked out by dividing the total number of formal ballot papers by one more than the number of vacancies, and then adding one to the result (ignoring any remainder).

This example shows how the quota for NSW in the 1998 half-senate election was worked out. Six senators were to be elected from among 63 candidates.

Number of Senators to be elected:
6
Number of formal ballot papers:
3,755,725
The quota:
(3,755,725 ÷ (6 + 1)) + 1 = 536,533

Surplus votes

Candidates who receive a quota, or more, of first preference votes are immediately elected. The surplus votes of candidates who receive more than the quota are transferred to second choice candidates. Because it is not possible to determine which votes actually elected the candidate and which votes are surplus, all the elected candidates' ballot papers are transferred at a reduced value.

Transfer value

The transfer value of the elected candidate's ballot papers is worked out by dividing the number of surplus votes by the total number of the elected candidate's ballot papers.

Example of The Senate vote count

In the 1998 NSW Senate election, candidate Steve Hutchins (ALP) gained 1,446,231 votes. As the quota is 536,533, his surplus is 909,698. To work out the transfer value, Hutchins’ surplus votes (909,698) are divided by the total number of his ballot papers:

909,698 ÷ 1,446,231 = 0.62901293085

This figure is taken to the eighth decimal point, without rounding. So the transfer value is 0.62901293.

The next step is to re-examine all Hutchins’ ballot papers (1,446,231).

Let's say that of the 1,446,231 people who voted for Hutchins as first choice, 1,444,433 put John Faulkner (ALP) as second choice.

Those 1,444,433 second choice ballot papers are then multiplied by the transfer value to work out how many votes they represent:

1,444,433 x 0.62901293 = 908,567

These 908,567 transferred votes are then added to the number of first preference votes (2,914) Faulkner received, to give a total of 911,481 votes - more than the quota required. Faulkner is therefore elected. Faulkner’s surplus votes are then transferred in the same manner.

As a result of this process of transferring surplus votes, other candidates may be elected. If however, all surplus votes from elected candidates are transferred and there are still some unfilled positions, further counting is undertaken.

Exclusion of unsuccessful candidates

Starting with the lowest scoring candidate, unelected candidates are excluded from the count and their ballot papers are distributed to the remaining candidates to whom the voters have given their preferences. When a candidate gains a quota following the distribution, he or she is elected. The above process continues until all Senate positions are filled.

In certain circumstances, 2 or more candidates may be excluded simultaneously. This is called a bulk exclusion.

Senate declaration

Counting for the Senate takes longer than the House of Representatives because of the complex nature of the counting system used. It is some weeks before all Senators are declared elected.

The declaration of the poll for the Senate is made by the Australian Electoral Officer for that State or Territory.