• Electoral research & reports
• Electoral systems
• About the ECA 
• Home

ECA Home > Electoral systems

Commonwealth

	Head of State Governor-general Leader of Government Prime Minister
Parliaments and Local Councils	Senate	House of Representatives
Terms of Members of Parliament / Council	State Senators: 6 years;half retire every 3 years. Territory Senators: Same as House of Representatives i.e., up to 3 years.	Up to 3 years.
Number of Members	76. Twelve from each State, 2 from each Territory. Each State and Territory serves as a multi-member constituency.	150 elected from single-member Divisions (as at the 2004 election).
Electoral Legislation	'Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918', and 'Referendum (Machinery Provisions) Act 1984'.	Same as Senate
Voting Systems (definitions)	Proportional representation- single transferable vote and above the line voting. Full Preferential	Full Preferential
Enrolment and Voting Eligibility	Compulsory enrolment and voting for Australian citizens 18 years and over who have lived at their present address for one month. British subjects who were on the roll immediately before 26 January 1984. Enrolment for 17 year olds so that they can vote when they reach 18 years.
Redistribution Provisions and Frequency	The Constitution and the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918. (i) If the enrolment in at least one third of the Division in State/Territory is more than 10% above or below the average enrolment for the State/Territory for a period of more than 2 months; (ii) If the number of members to be chosen in State/Territory alters; or (iii) If a period of 7 years has passed since the last redistribution.
Joint Rolls Arrangements between Commonwealth, States and Territories	The Joint Arrangements (JRAs) are bilateral agreements between the Commonwealth and each State/ Territory to provide a single form and procedure for electoral enrolment. Most JRAs also provide for the maintenance of a joint electoral roll, for Commonwealth, State/ Territory and Local Government.
Funding, Donations and Disclosure Provisions	At the 2001 federal election, funding of approximately $1.79 per House and Senate vote was granted to candidates and Senate groups who received at least 4% of the formal first preference vote. This level of funding is indexed to the CPI. Disclosure of certain financial details is required by candidates, registered political parties and other groups in returns filed with the AEC.
Interesting and Particular Features	Legislative power to provide international electoral assistance. Special arrangements apply for Antarctic voters. The Division of Kalgoorlie is believed to have the largest land area in the world for an electoral area.