There are 76 members of the Senate. These members are called Senators.

All states are equally represented in the Senate.

Each state elects 12 senators, and the ACT and NT elect 2 senators each:

• State senators are elected for six years, and their terms are staggered. That means state voters usually vote for six senators at a time.
• ACT and NT senators are elected for three years, and both seats are voted for at every election.

The senators who are elected represent the interests of all the people in their state or territory.

What is the role of the Senate?

• Talk about and vote on proposed laws (bills).
• Question members of the House of Representatives about their decisions.
• Take part in committees to look into issues and government activities like how Australia responds after extreme weather events.
• Ask questions about how government money is being spent.
• Represent the needs of their state or territory.

Voting in the Senate

The white ballot paper is for the Senate, and it has a list of all the people or candidates you can vote for.

There is a list of groups above the black line. Most of the groups are political parties. A political party is a group of people who:

• share some of the same ideas
• work together on a plan for how government should run our country.

There is a list of candidates (people you can vote for) below the black line.

There are two ways you can vote. You get to choose.

You can vote above the line and vote for political parties.
Or
You can vote below the line and vote for candidates.

How to fill in the ballot paper

To vote above the line, you can put numbers in the boxes above the black line.

You will write a number 1 in the box for your favourite group, then 2 in the box for your second favourite.

You need to keep going until you have written numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6.

You can finish at 6 or keep going and write numbers in as many extra boxes above the line as you like.

To vote below the line, you can put numbers in the boxes below the black line.

You will write 1 in the box next to your favourite candidate, then 2 in the box for your second favourite.

You need to keep going until you have written numbers 1 to 12.

You can finish at 12 or you can keep going and write numbers in as many extra boxes below the line as you like.

Remember to only vote above the black line OR below the black line. Do not do both.

Social Story

Social Story – Voting in a federal election – chapter 2

Let’s practise:

• Practise voting - Senate