How to complete a Senate ballot below the line

The short answer

complete a Senate ballot below the line

Voting below the line on a Senate ballot paper gives you full control over the order in which individual candidates from all parties receive your preferences. Instead of choosing a group voting ticket by numbering above the line, you number individual candidates in the order you prefer. The instructions printed on the ballot paper tell you the minimum number of boxes to number. For a half-Senate election the minimum is at least 12 boxes below the line. You may continue numbering beyond the minimum if you wish, but your vote remains formal as long as you reach the stated minimum. The person who receives your number 1 gets your primary vote, and your preferences flow to successively lower-numbered candidates as required by the Senate's proportional representation count.

This guide explains the federal position first. State, territory and local elections can use different rules, dates and ballot systems, so the commission named on your election material is the final operational source.

The useful question is not only “what is the rule?” but also “who administers it, which document controls it, and when might it change?” That distinction prevents an accurate general explanation from becoming wrong advice in a particular election, chamber or policy setting.

Evidence review

Above the line versus below the line

The Senate ballot paper has a horizontal line across its full width. Above the line are the boxes for parties and groups, each showing the party name and logo. Below the line are the boxes for individual candidates, listed under their party or group name. Voting above the line means you choose a party or group and accept that party's registered order of preferences. You must number at least six boxes above the line. Voting below the line means you choose individual candidates regardless of their party, and your preferences flow exactly in the order you set. Both methods produce a formal vote under the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918. The choice is yours and neither method is more legitimate than the other. The main practical difference is control: above the line is faster but delegates preference flow to the party; below the line gives you complete personal control over where your preferences go.

Evidence review

The minimum numbering requirement

Under the Senate voting rules introduced in 2016, a vote below the line is formal if at least 12 boxes are numbered in a clear and unbroken sequence starting from 1. You write the number 1 in the box next to your first-choice candidate, then 2 next to your second choice, and so on until at least the number 12. You may continue numbering beyond 12 if you wish, and doing so ensures your preferences will be available for more rounds of counting if your earlier choices are elected or excluded. The instructions on the ballot paper itself will state the current minimum. If you make a mistake and cannot correct it clearly, you may return the ballot paper to a polling official and receive a fresh one. A ballot paper that has fewer than the minimum required numbers below the line, or that has repeated or missing numbers in the sequence, may be treated as informal.

Evidence review

How to number the boxes correctly

Use the pencil provided at the polling place to write your numbers clearly inside each box. Start at the candidate you most want to represent your state or territory in the Senate and write 1. Then look at the remaining candidates and decide who you would want if your first choice does not need your vote because they have already reached a quota. Write 2 next to that candidate. Continue this process through at least 12 candidates. The numbers must form a continuous sequence and you cannot skip numbers. If you reach 12 and still have preferences among the remaining candidates, keep numbering. The Senate ballot paper can be large, with many columns listing dozens of candidates. The AEC produces a practice Senate ballot paper on its website that you can use to familiarise yourself with the layout before election day. Take your time in the polling booth as there is no time limit for completing your ballot.

Evidence review

How below-the-line preferences are counted

Senate votes are counted under a system of proportional representation using the single transferable vote method. To be elected, a candidate must reach a quota of formal votes, calculated by dividing the total number of formal votes by one more than the number of vacancies to be filled and then adding one. When the count begins, all first preference votes below the line are allocated to the candidates receiving the number 1. If a candidate reaches the quota, they are elected and any surplus votes beyond the quota are transferred to the next available preference on each ballot paper at a reduced value. If no candidate reaches the quota, the candidate with the fewest votes is excluded and their ballot papers are distributed to the next available preference at full value. This process of electing and excluding candidates continues until all Senate vacancies for the state or territory are filled.

Evidence review

Saving preferences and avoiding exhaustion

Your vote is said to be exhausted when there are no further preferences available on your ballot paper during the count and all remaining candidates are yet to be elected. A vote that exhausts cannot influence the final outcome, which is why numbering beyond the minimum of 12 is recommended if you have genuine preferences. Every additional number you add keeps your vote alive for one more potential round of counting. However, do not number candidates simply to avoid exhaustion. Number them only if you prefer that candidate over the remaining alternatives. The size of the Senate ballot below the line means there can be 50 or more candidates. You are never required to number all of them, but the more you number while maintaining genuine preferences, the more impact your vote can have on the final composition of the Senate.

Evidence review

Common mistakes and how to avoid them

The most common below-the-line mistakes are repeating a number, skipping a number in the sequence, writing numbers outside the boxes, or using ticks and crosses instead of numbers. A repeated number means both candidates receive the same preference, which makes the sequence ambiguous. Skipped numbers create a break in the sequence and may cause the vote to be treated as informal once the error is reached in the count. Numbers must be written inside the designated box beside each candidate. Do not use ticks, crosses or other marks. Only arabic numerals written clearly should be used. If you cross out a number and write another one beside it, the intent of the voter is considered during formality checks, but it is safer to ask a polling official for a replacement ballot paper. The AEC publishes ballot paper formality guidelines that polling officials use to determine whether a vote with irregularities should be admitted to the count.

Common questions

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