The Wire

The Federal Government has struck a deal with The Greens and Independent Senator Nick Xenophon to push for changes to the way we vote in the Senate. The proposed new system, called optional preferential above the line voting, will advise voters to allocate their own preferences above the line by numbering at least six of the boxes in the order of their choice. Advocates say this means your vote will go where you want it to and not end up electing someone you’ve probably never heard of. But the critics say it will be harder for smaller parties to get elected.

Senate Inquiry into Electoral Reform