PATEFACTIO

Now, I'm not going to suggest who our WA members should vote for on election day, just that you need to be vigilant about the parties concerned, and think carefully before you vote. And please don't shortcut but complete the below the line section rather than give preferences to some obscure group, which you might do by simply marking above the line.

I've been reading about the Australian election system.

To me, the preference system should be abolished. It's a sneaky way for the MPs (state and federal) control the outcome and still have their favorites. I'm still trying to understand how the preference system works but I find it too archaic and not needed.

It can turn out that the party you put last can win the seat because your previous preferences don't get enough votes to be elected. For my money it's first past the post. But I don't think we will ever get that.

Yeah, I've seen some upsets in Australian elections that confounded a lot of people.

Looks like I need to do some more research.

My knowledge of politics doesn't extend beyond Yes Minister and Yes Prime Minister.
I'm voting for the party that makes promises that will benefit me directly. Oh, hang on, that's none of them. The only benefits are for those who are actually in politics.

Ahhhh ...... you seem to be smarter than a politician.

A long time ago friend of mind never voted in elections. He wrote across the ballot paper "No suitable applicant".

hmm politics is one of my favourite subjects
Traveller, there are several types of preferential voting. Perhaps the simplest of all, and the one least likely to annoy the first past the posters is optional preferential voting. You only have to vote for one candidate. You do not have to number all the candidates. Or you can vote for as many as you like. If there are six candidates you may despise three of them, so in this case you put 1.2.3 in the three you like. This is my preferred system.

Sounds so convoluted. Strange, it seems like one candidate could win the popular vote but still lose the election because of the preferences. Seems like the voting system was devised by a bunch of drunks.