Australian Bureau of Statistics
Celebrating the International Year of Statistics 2013

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COMMONWEALTH ELECTIONS

Generally, the 150 members of the House of Representatives, half of the 72 state senators and the four territory senators are elected approximately every three years.


Voting methods

Members of the House of Representatives are elected by voters using the alternative vote electoral system (known in Australia as ‘preferential voting’); Senators are elected by voters using the voting method known as proportional representation (single transferable vote variant).


Franchise

Any Australian citizen aged 18 years and over, or British subject who was on the Commonwealth Roll as at 25 January 1984, is qualified to enrol and vote at Commonwealth elections. Residence in a particular electorate for at least a period of one month is also a requirement. Enrolment and attendance at a polling place on polling day (except under certain lawful exceptions) are compulsory for all eligible persons.


Parliamentary terms

Members of the House of Representatives are elected for a maximum term of three years, though elections may be called earlier. Senators have fixed terms of six years. Normally half the Senate retires every three years, and half-Senate elections are usually held at the same time as elections for the House of Representatives, though they need not be. The most recent separate elections for each house occurred in 1970 (Senate) and 1972 (House of Representatives).

At times of disagreement between the House of Representatives and the Senate, the two houses may be dissolved and an election called for both. Of the 42 Commonwealth elections, six have been ‘double dissolution’ elections, the most recent of which occurred in 1987.

There have been 42 parliaments since Federation. The longest parliament was the third, which ran from 20 February 1907 to 19 February 1910, and the shortest was the eleventh, which ran from 6 February to 16 September 1929.

4.3 ENROLMENT AND ELECTORATES – June 2009
	Electors enrolled	Electorates
New South Wales	4 554 311	49
Victoria	3 490 260	37
Queensland	2 688 131	29
Western Australia	1 350 559	15
South Australia	1 087 233	11
Tasmania	356 065	5
Northern Territory	120 530	2
Australian Capital Territory	245 473	2
Total	13 892 562	150
Source: Australian Electoral Commission.

2007 election

The House of Representatives was dissolved on 17 October 2007. Elections for the House of Representatives and half of the Senate were held on 24 November 2007.

The Australian Labor Party gained control of the House of Representatives but did not gain control of the Senate. The Labor Party formed Australia’s 60th Commonwealth Government.