How do elections work in Australia? British voters may have to wait up to five years for a general election, but, for Australians, the opportunity comes no later than every three. On Saturday 21st May, Australia’s House of Representatives and roughly... Posted 15 May 2022
Does proportional representation lead to higher turnout? A healthy democracy requires healthy levels of democratic participation – the most crucial element of which is turnout at general elections. But Britain has one of the lowest turnout rates in the west – a... Posted 10 Feb 2022
The Single Transferable Vote means every vote counts in New South Wales’ local elections In the closing days of 2021, I braved the scorch of the blistering Australian summer sun, walking through the streets of a leafy Sydney suburb and dropping flyers into letterboxes for the Sutherland Shire Council... Posted 07 Feb 2022
How are the members of upper houses chosen around the world? Many countries use a bicameral political system – meaning that they have two chambers in their parliament. These parliaments are comprised of a lower house where the government is formed and day-to-day politics is carried... Posted 27 Jan 2022
A small change has the potential to make a big difference to Australian elections In 1918, a seemingly ordinary by-election in the Australian electoral division of Swan changed Australian federal politics forever. The conservatives left Labor in the dust with almost double the vote. Unfortunately for them, there were... Posted 08 Jan 2021
Westminster could learn a lot from the Australian Capital Territory Could Australia’s capital show the rest of Australia and Westminster how to be fairer and more representative? Posted 21 Oct 2020
Does Australia use First Past the Post? Australians head to the polls tomorrow to elect all 151 members of the Federal House of Representatives and 40 of their 76 Senators. Australian elections are world-renowned for their beloved ‘Democracy Sausages’ and the fact... Posted 17 May 2019
Australian Senate reforms need to go further to put voters back in control Ill-thought-out plans have a habit of coming back and biting you, and it’s no different in politics. In fact, the risks of unintended consequences are even higher, as politicians on one side have an incentive... Posted 30 Apr 2019
What does preferential voting mean? There has been talking recently about using preferential voting to solve the Brexit impasse – whether through MPs using it to find a form of Brexit that parliament can support or through a referendum. When... Posted 26 Mar 2019
Four countries where First Past the Post is dead and buried As a Halloween treat, we thought we’d have a spooky stroll around the graveyard of First Past the Post. Around the world, voters in country after country, tired of it’s tricks, have chosen to bury... Posted 31 Oct 2018