Election Day: Australia Goes to the Polls

Australians eligible to vote go to the polls today. The major battle is between the Liberal-National Coalition and the Australian Labor Party.

The outcome of today's elections decides whether current Prime Minister John Howard of the Liberal Party continues for another term or Opposition Leader Mark Latham of the Labor Party will supplant him.

Up for election today are all 150 Members of the House of Representatives (Lower House) of the Australian Parliament and 40 Members of the Australian Senate (half the number of Senators representing the States plus two Senators each representing the two mainland territories).

Under the Australian electoral system, a majority of the Members of the Lower House is needed by either the Coalition or the Labor Party to hold government in its own right. If no majority is achieved in the first instance, it behooves either party to seek alignments or realignments with other political parties or elected Members in order to achieve a practical and working arrangement to form government.

In simple terms (since this is still supposed to be the subject of a vote by the Members), if the Coalition wins government, John Howard of the Liberal Party becomes (and in effect continues to be) Prime Minister. The Leader of the National Party, John Anderson, likewise continues as Deputy Prime Minister.

If the Australian Labor Party wins government, Mark Latham succeeds John Howard as Prime Minister. The Parliamentary Labor Party chooses the Deputy Prime Minister from among its Members.

To be elected to a seat in the House of Representatives, the candidate must poll at least 50 per cent plus 1 votes under the Australian preferential system of voting in his or her electorate. There are 150 federal electorates in Australia.

Senators are likewise elected under the preferential system but of such a number (6 in a half-Senate election for every State; and two for each of the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory). Election of Senators representing the State is for a six-year term with half-Senate elections every three years (this term may be shorter than three years depending on when the election is called). Senators representing the territories hold office until the next election.

For an understanding of how Senators are elcted see Antony Green's Election Guide.

The Australian Parliament consists of 150 Members of the House of Representatives and 76 Senators.

Voting is compulsory for every Australian eligible to vote.