| Parliament name |
Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia |
| Structure of parliament |
Bicameral |
| Chamber name |
House of Representatives |
| Related chamber (for bicameral parliaments) |
Senate
|
| LEGAL FRAMEWORK |
| Electoral Law |
1 January 1918
Last amendment: 16/12/1995 |
| Mode of designation |
directly elected 150 |
| Constituencies |
- 148 single-member constituencies spread among the 6 states and 2 territories of Australia according to population |
| Voting system |
Majority:
Direct preferential majority vote.
Under this system, members of the House - one for each electoral division - are elected by an absolute majority of the votes cast. Voters are required to express a preference among all the candidates contesting the same seat. A candidate is elected if he/she gains an absolute majority or 50% + 1 vote. If none of the candidates in a division obtains an absolute majority of the first preference votes, a second round of counting is held. At this point, the candidate with the least number of votes is eliminated and the votes which he/she obtained in the first round are redistributed among the remaining candidates on the basis of the electors' second choices. This procedure is repeated until such time as one of the candidates obtains an absolute majority.
Vacancies arising between general elections are filled through by-elections.
Voting is compulsory, unwarranted abstention punishable by fine. |
| Voter requirements |
- age: 18 years
- Australian citizen or British subject registered on the Commonwealth Electoral Roll on 25 January 1984
- disqualifications: holders of temporary entry permits, prohibited immigrants, conviction for treason, insanity, persons serving a sentence of three years or more |
| CANDIDATES |
| Eligibility |
Qualified electors
- age: 18 years
- Australian citizenship
- ineligibility: undischarged bankruptcy, conviction for treason, allegiance to a foreign State, conviction for an offence punishable by imprisonment of one year or more, conviction for bribery within preceding two years |
| Incompatibilities |
- membership of a state or territory legislature or of the other House of Parliament
- holders of an office of profit or pension payable out of public funds (except Ministers and members of the armed forces)
- officers of the Electoral Commission
- unless excepted, person with any financial interest in an agreement with the Government |
| Candidacy requirements |
- nomination by six qualified electors of the constituency concerned or a registered political party
- payment of A$ 350, reimbursed to any candidate obtaining at least 4% of first preference votes |
Compare data for parliamentary chambers in the Electoral system module
