Electoral Council of Australia

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Electoral Systems

 

Distribution of a Surplus

Name of PR System

Method of distribution of surplus votes and calculation for new transfer value

Commonwealth Senate

Senate System

All of the elected candidate's ballot papers are distributed to pass on the surplus votes.

The transfer value is calculated as follows:

Transfer Value = Number of surplus votes
   Total number of ballot papers received

NSW Legislative Council

Optional preferential proportional representation

When distributing the votes of an elected candidate a
transfer value is calculated to determine how many
ballot papers are passed on to the continuing candidates.

Transfer Value = Number of surplus votes
Number of ballot papers to be distributed - exhausted votes

The transfer value will almost invariably be less than 1.

The number of ballot papers to be distributed is
multiplied by the transfer value. The result is the number of ballot papers retained by each candidate. The remainder are set aside as the quota. NSW differs from other systems in Australia in that the ballot papers to be passed on to other candidates are selected at random.

Western Australia Legislative Council

Proportional Representation

All of the elected candidate's ballot papers are distributed to pass on the surplus votes.

The transfer value is calculated as follows:

Transfer Value = Number of surplus votes
  Total number of ballot papers received

South Australia Legislative Council

Modified Hare-Clark

All of the elected candidate's ballot papers are distributed to pass on the surplus votes.

The transfer value is calculated as follows:

Transfer Value =  Number of surplus votes
  Total number of ballot papers received

Tasmania House of Assembly

Hare-Clark

Only the last parcel of ballot papers received by the elected candidate is distributed to pass on the surplus votes.

Transfer Value =  Number of surplus votes
  Number of ballot papers in the last parcel

Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly

Hare-Clark

Only the last parcel of ballot papers received by the elected candidate is distributed to pass on the surplus votes.

Transfer Value = Number of surplus votes
  Number of ballot papers in the last parcel which are distributed to a 'continuing' candidate

The transfer value cannot be calculated until the surplus has been distributed. The parcel's new transfer value cannot exceed the pervious transfer value when received by the elected candidate.

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