Preferential voting: Difference between revisions

TermThe term '''preferential voting''' (also known as the '''preference voting''') has several different meanings:

(1) A '''ranked ballot system''' or '''Ordinalordinal voting system''' (from "[[votingW:Ordinal systemutility|ordinal utility]]") is a type of [[Voting system|voting system]] in which each voter casts their vote by ranking candidates in order of preference.

(2) ''Preferential voting'' is a synonym for both [[Instant-runoff voting|instant-runoff voting]] and [[Single transferable vote|single transferable vote]], especially in Australia, where such ballots are actually in use in elections. See [[Australian electoral system]].

(4) Often the term preferential voting is used for any kind of intraparty preference.{{Clarify|reason=|date=February 2020}}

In Australia, which uses preferential voting for both houses, candidates hand out at the entrance to Polling Stations "How to Vote Cards", which advise voters how best to fill in their ballots to support that candidate, and any cross preference deals they may have arranged with other candidates. These HTVC cards are voluntary, and no voter is obliged to do so, but high proportion are happy to do so. In elections for the upper houses, which use proportional representation as well as preferential voting, it may be daunting to have to fill in 70 boxes - preferences are compulsory. To ease this onerous task, "Above the line" voting, allows the voter to choose one party or group, and all the remaingremaining squares are deemed to be filled in according to a registered party ticket. About 95% of voters choose to use this method.