Is My Vote Worth It? Debunking Myths About Voting in Australia
Your vote is never wasted—preferential voting ensures every vote counts, minor parties and independents can shape government, and even in a safe seat, your first preference influences future elections.
Every single election, we notice all sorts of myths being pushed by politicians (who should know better), poorly informed media commentators (who should know better) and influencers (who should be better!). This year, we’re here to set things straight!
Someone call Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage, because it’s time to bust some myths.
Myth: Your vote is wasted if your first preference doesn’t get elected.
Verdict: Absolutely and totally incorrect!
We cannot emphasise this enough. Your first preference cannot be “wasted” and anyone telling you otherwise is incorrect.
We could outline it all here from scratch, but honestly, Dennis the Election Koala (by Patrick Alexander) has been doing a stellar job at explaining preferential voting in the House of Representatives since 2013. He can explain it perfectly for you.
And if you’re looking for a similar explainer for the Senate, Dennis has you covered there as well. Thank you, Dennis and Patrick!
Myth: It’s not worth voting for minor parties or independents – they never have enough power to do anything.
Verdict: A load of codswallop. Extremely incorrect.
This is such an insidious and widely circulating myth that we don’t blame anyone who believes it! But we’ll continue to scream this one from the rooftops – it’s totally wrong, and as a myth, it only serves to benefit the major parties.
Let’s talk through it.
What is a minor party?
You know how Labor and Liberal are considered the major parties? Well, there are dozens of other parties in the mix. Minor parties are essentially all the other parties that don’t have enough seats to form a majority government. You can read more about minor parties and independents here.
At the moment, minor parties and independents represent 19 seats in the House of Representatives and 21 seats in the Senate.
Some of the more well-known minor parties are the Australian Greens, the National Party, One Nation, and the Jacqui Lambie Network.
But won’t voting for a minor party or independent take votes away from those more likely to get elected?
Not at all! Take a look through the information above on preferential voting. Or check out our deep dive here.
The short answer is: you can vote for a minor party or independent, direct your preferences in the order you wish, and your vote will never be wasted!
While a minor party candidate or independent may not be able to form a majority government, they can still secure a seat in either the House of Reps or Senate. From there they can tip the balance of power, and might be instrumental in the formation of a minority government!
For example, right now the current Labor government holds 77 seats in the House of Reps (with 74 seats held by other parties and independents), so it would only take a few more independent or minor party members to shift that balance.
Myth: There’s no point voting for a candidate unlikely to win if you’re in a safe seat.
Verdict: BUH-BOW buzzer noise. Also wrong.
As we covered above, our fantastic preferential voting system means you get to vote for whoever you want and direct your preferences accordingly.
Importantly, even if a minor party or independent candidate misses out on the seat they were running for, your vote for them still counts for something. A swing towards a minor party or independent can indicate the changing interests or values of an electorate and is something any politician who hopes to secure a long tenure will take into consideration.
But also: your first preference vote determines funding allocations for future elections!
After each federal election or by-election, the Australian Electoral Commission distributes money to eligible parties, candidates, and Senate groups to reimburse them for expenditure incurred during the election campaign. This funding is distributed proportionally to any candidate who gets over 4% of the first preference votes in an electorate.
So your first preference vote:
- Counts!
- Can’t be wasted!
- And is worth literal cold hard cash to the candidate/party you’re voting for!
This funding is calculated by multiplying the total number of first preference votes the party or candidate received and the current election funding rate.
Your vote will always count for something, even if your first preference doesn’t get elected.
